They are planted in a large water trough with other blooming flowers which are drawing bees/wasps, etc. I have a beautiful tropical-milkweed plant purchased 6 months ago and live in So.Cal. The bi-color red/yelow bloom is complex and requires insects for pollination. They spread by underground crawling. Tropical milkweed seeds are never in short supply…, I ended up with several tropicals in 20″ pots, they are doing terrific! Thank you, Tony. Should old stems that have been cut down to 3″ be removed the next spring when new plants come up or are they connected? We have had serious weather conditions all summer. The soil in my potted milkweed plant never have a chance to dry out. I have never used this website to promote planting tropical milkweed at the expense of native milkweed, but to use it in combination with natives to support more monarchs throughout the season, which it does. Tropical milkweed is fine in its own habitat. However, if you regularly monitor your garden, having single plants is fine. A friend told me that she had read that the tropical milkweed would keep the butterflies around for longer than they should stay. Will they come back next year or do I need cut them for next spring?? upon reading the effects on migration I am concerned I am doing a disservice to monarch species. My first time trying to grow these. If we talked about humans like we do plants then we’d use terms like ‘Genocide’ and ‘Aprtheid’, and ‘Rascism’. Bloodflower will produce clusters of beautiful red & yellow flowers. The white sap in stem is used for the removal of warts, corns etc. Would it be beneficial if they had some additional time in a cool fridge without the moist stratification prior to giving them moist stratification? Here’s more info on the potential problems/solutions with tropical milkweed: hello tony, i checked all the tops of my mexican milkweed, Asclepia curassavica, and i can’t find any growing tips that aren’t producing flower buds. Growing Asclepias Tuberosa from seed. I have 14 back up cuttings in the garage that have already rooted and are in pots just in case they don’t. Zinnias as Well. good luck! I was so sad to see all of my Blood Flowers hit by the frost and now they dead. It freezes and I have to treat them as annuals, but they are worth it. Full Tx Sun. I Cover My Tropical Mikweed( I Have Both Kinds) so I can get early start. Sometimes I’ll look at the native map for a particular plant and see a state where it’s not native, surrounded by states where it is. Product ID: 1641. I also have a few new plants I started from seed that of course won’t be going into my garden, so I can plant those near the creek. The butterflies are native to NZ, they flew here from the Americas. Plants move around, they die out, they come back, they die out again. I didn’t see a single chrysalis on any plant, but I sighted several Monarchs flitting about. I live in New Zealand. The information tag that came with it, lists it as Butterfly Weed. thanks. A. curassavica previously belonged to the (former) Asclepiadaceae, before classification of the Apocynaceae was revised to subsume the Asclepiadaceae as the sub-family Asclepiadoideae (Endress and Bruyns, 2000).. Hence, that is the key that you are indeed promoting but it is missing many variables. You can spray the aphids off with water or gently squeeze them on the plant to kill them. 2 maybe? According to this site http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ASNI3 they are native to Puerto Rico. I have loved these plants and how they blow in the wind and of course, seeing the monarchs and humming birds. Yes, it’s more common on tropical milkweed in regions with a continuous growing season like southern California, south Florida, and South Texas but gardeners in most regions across the US don’t need to be concerned about this. Check out suggested milkweed stores and more plant listings below: A. curassavica seeds only need to be soaked in water for 24 hours before planting and no stratification is necessary. It is mid November and I still have quite a few monarchs visiting the top flowers and leaves. I Find Planting In Pots And In Garden Helps. I usually pull out tropical milkweed (in Minnesota) in October. Cuttings should be made from healthy plants. Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) can be propagated by cuttings or by seed. In the part of my garden where I first grew it it had already spread through some perennials, so I may not be able to fully get rid of it. If you bring plants indoors to overwinter, you can take cuttings a couple months before your average last frost. Sometimes it seems I have just 1 that is here all summer, is that possible? I am cutting the plant canes with leaves and putting them in a covered vases to feed the caterpillars. I hope it grows well as an annual .. As for who’s from Florida and who’s migrating through….only the monarchs know for sure! You could also take stem cuttings and place them in water…that keeps milkweed fresh for a much longer period and you will have an abundance to feed your indoor cats. Resident monarchs and many other tropical species feed on them and whether they get OE or not they must have worked that out during the process of coevolution. Hi John, monarch caterpillars love munching on tropical milkweed. So, I will cut them back when they leave in November. Unfortunately, again it did not bloom. The leaves are turning yellow too. I also believe in discussing viable solutions instead of dwelling on worst-case scenarios based on unsubstantiated theory…which is what being an alarmist is all about. Noted for its very long blooming season, Asclepias curassavica 'Silky Deep Red' (Tropical Milkweed) is an upright evergreen sub-shrub boasting eye-catching clusters of deep red flowers adorned with bright yellow hoods from late spring to late fall. Now I feel maybe I should return some beautiful plants I just bought at Lowes. Hi Vicki, milkweed seems to thrive in more acidic soil so pine needles should be fine for tropical milkweed, but you might want to mulch one or two first and see how they respond. I put 3 tropical milkweed seedlings in with it, will see what happens. I love this plant especially the caterpillars. Should I just get rid of it? What do you mean by cutting? I live in zone 8a and have more monarchs every year in Oct., though not as many as some who have posted. Hi Monica, tropical milkweed grows well for most regions. I recommend starting yours from seed. Just sounds fun gets real big im in minnesota and have lots of room im my butterfly garden. With numerous common names including tropical milkweed, bloodflower, scarlet milkweed, sunset flower and silkweed, Asclepias curassavica is an interesting member of the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae) thought to be native to the Caribbean, South America, Central America or Mexico. In short, the “precautionary principle” is a notion which supports taking protective action before there is complete scientific proof of a risk; that is, action should not be delayed simply because full scientific information is lacking. Hi: I planted 2 tropical milkweeds 3 weeks ago (zone 9b/10a Florida west coast) and they are attracting monarchs (2 to be exact) but the leaves are turning yellow and all full of spots (on the lower 1/3 of the stems). My tropical milkweed plant leaves have been totaly consumed by the caterpillars all that remains is a barren stalk. I’m in zone 5a and it hasn’t been an issue. Could it be too hot? I started my garden last year…but monarchs are not touching my milkweed…instead the devour my stick vine…i live in East Central Florida…I tried the cage bought and the cats don’t stay on the plants…the are all over the net…is this OK? Hopefully, by the first week of May, you’ll see something emerging from the soil. The flowers are a great source of nectar for butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and other beneficial insects. Can I use pine needles as mulch for tropical milkweed? It looks like it could be some type of fungus? Keep in mind, many predators have adapted to the poisonous chemicals in milkweed, so it doesn’t keep them as safe as many people think….this is all milkweed both native and non-native. Butterflies attracted to the blooms. You can start new tropical milkweed plants by taking stem cuttings, which will multiply your plants and save you some $$$. Yes, tropical milkweed has problems in continuous growing regions because of pathogen build-up on plants. I live in an apartment and it is in the full sun on my balcony. Ascelpias curassvica speciose incanata sullivantii tuberosa. Is it considered a cultivar of the Tropical milkweed. Therefore it is easy to distinguish between endemic and non. Hi Nancy, if you buy tropical milkweed seeds now and store them in a cupboard or drawer over the winter they should be fine for planting next spring. Try staggering your cuttings (cut back half now, the other half a few weeks later). I try to release monarchs monarchs when it’s at least 60 and sunny to give them the best chance for survival. Hi Rick, I’m not familiar with the continuous growth cycle in Houston. It is from the native in the south and the monarchs love it. I have moved all the caterpillars I could find to an inside 2 net cages. It’s now the middle of July and my plants are only about 6-8 in. The bloodflower, or sunset flower (A. curassavica) is another stunning variety, with red and yellow flowers and a max height of about 36 inches. Asclepias curassavica grows easily from seeds, reaches two to three feet (60 to 90 cm) tall and spreads to about one-and-a-half to two feet (45 to 60 cm). May be more of an issue for you in 6b. What I did, however, is take the showy milkweed I dug up and re-planted it by a nearby creek. After you plant the seeds the heated seedling mat can also be used to speed up germination. If you haven’t already tried a marigold nearby, I recommend it wholeheartedly! The plants were quickly stripped of their leaves and the cats grew large. Thanks Tony! 5 plants is just a snack for a hungry batch of monarchs…good luck! Tropical milkweed is very harmful. I’ll pick up some genuine curassavica if a local garden center is selling it this year. Hi Don, not that I’m aware of, but a few years ago I didn’t think deer ate milkweed…they most certainly do! Hi Jesi, it never hurts to “try” as long as you are able to monitor the progress of your plants. I’ve been following your blog/site since early spring, but it wasn’t until late August that I discovered beautiful Monarch cats in my backyard. I don’t think you’ll have to do much maintenance to get it to bush out in my experience. I understand we have non-migrating monarchs as well. Can you offer any suggestions on how to control the aphids? What happens over time we discover that these “alarmists” were correct? I have been trying to rinse the aphids off under the faucet, wondered if there is a better option. It has a much longer flowering period than the perennial milkweeds that are winter hardy in St. Louis. I read that Home Depot sprays their plants with pesticides and the pesticide residue is toxic to the caterpillars. They will migrate, or not, as it suits them. And, there are eggs on one of my tropical milkweed. How do I keep them over winter? This year the plants are tall and look healthy, but they are not blooming at all. good luck! Their buds just opened up a week or two ago, and I’ve spotted monarchs a couple of times! Hi Kate, in my opinion, that article is part of the problem because it only tells half truths and fills the rest in baseless theories. One plant is just about to flower. Under that section more plants/plugs are listed and you can always find tropical milkweed at a good price. Yesterday, I noticed the other one had a yellow, black and white striped caterpillars on it which I removed. I am excited it is Tropical! I’m not sure that starting perennial seeds indoors at this point is a good idea. Buy Tropical Milkweed Seeds & Plants from Joyful Butterfly, Click here for 25+ Milkweed Ideas for your Butterfly Garden. Is tropical milkweed seed ready to germinate straight from the pod, or does it benefit from a resting period? Check out this article for more info: http://www.monarchbutterflygarden.net/starting-seeds-inside/, > “If you know other pollinators tropical milkweed attracts, please comment”. I let the plants grow to maturity each year but don’t know just when to cut them down. For me, they’ve flowered all year long. Please help and advice.. Our plants don’t lose leaves up north. Mexican Milkweed is a thin, unobtrusive little plant that can be squeezed in among other perennials and shrubs and still counted on to show off its pretty flowers. Hi Renee, tropical milkweed seeds and it can also be started with stem cuttings: Hi tony Anyone grow tithonia diversifolia i have done other mexican sunflowers. Little bees and this year’s Monarch butterflies love them the most (the bees are adorable and completely non-aggressive), and I’ve found them to be VERY low-maintenance. I just bought some Asclepias Milkweed off the discount rack, they have blooms but look skimpy on the stems though they are tall, not much foliage on them. I have a few that still need homes. I’m wondering how a Monarch may locate just the one plant, if we are lucky enough to have any pass through our area. Oops so sorry I didn’t see my first post when I scrolled down, thought it didn’t post the other day. I would suggest 4-6 plants minimum…good luck! At what time do we have a definitive list and how do we know that many if not most on that list didn’t come from the south. I know it doesn’t need stratification. Yes, you can take cuttings with buds and I would remove most of them. The most visited nectar plant in my yard after the tropical milkweed is the Mexican flame vine, it is heavy with blooms on this last day of October. I’m in Houston, Texas. Hi Elizabeth, yes…that’s tropical milkweed. Bloodflower seed. This defies all logic and common sense, yet some believe these guidelines should be followed with question. I harvested some of my Tropical Milkweed seed pods too early (seeds are white). I have plans to create an enclosed butterfly pavillion and a butterfly garden. shop milkweed seed packets > Tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica one gram Tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica one gram SKU: $8.00. I’m surprised that you say A. Tuberosa is not a preferred milkweed for Monarchs. Infected monarchs are much weaker than their healthy counterparts and don’t live nearly as long. good luck! The deer sometimes eat milkweed here in southcentral Texas also. The people that refuse to discuss those solutions aren’t doing the public, or the monarchs any favors. TN. Cooperative Extension, which staffs local offices in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. I can’t seem to find much information on planting the Silky Gold in containers and I hope you have some experience/answers for me. I thought I read somewhere that’s a good thing to do. Please help I love it but can’t afford to keep on going to buy more plants when leaves are eaten and gone? I had the same thing happen to me when I bought my plants from Home Depot, except I watched some of my caterpillars die in front of me. My question is similar to the one above: is it too late on February 29th to cut them back? Hi Amanda, I suspect your problems are from overwatering. Blood Flower seeds are better to start indoors and transplant after last frost to a desirable area. Must cut back in the fall in USDA zones 9-11 to prevent build up of OE. Reading the comments above about the controversy over this plant… This appears to be something that has been exported from my country. View full-size image. Many gardeners also find it a more attractive option for their garden so that is driving demand. How best to save the seed for planing next year? We grow both showy and tropical. http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2014/11/19/efforts-to-restore-monarch-butterflies-milkweed-habitats-may-be-doing-more-harm-than-good/. 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