I GET A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR TROPICAL MILKWEED, AKA SILKY RED OR SILKY YELLOW. I DO NOT CARRY IT, AS IT CARRIES A PARASITE THAT CAN HARM/KILL MONARCHS AND SPREAD FROM CONTACT WITH OTHER BUTTERFLIES.
PLEASE DO THE MONARCHS A FAVOR AND PURCHASE NATIVE SEEDS. TROPICAL MILKWEED IS NOT NATIVE TO THE U.S. ALL ASCLEPIAS SEEDS IN MY SHOP ARE NATIVE AND DO NOT CARRY THIS PARASITE.
A beautiful purple-red milkweed native to California, Oregon and Nevada, it not only has unusual and stunning flowers but the leaves are heart shaped (where its' common name is derived) and have pink veining. The stems also often have a red or purple tint, which contrasts beautifully with the green foliage.
The flowers grow in clusters (umbels), and are typically a vibrant deep red to purple, sometimes with a slight pinkish hue.
Each flower has a unique, intricate structure with five downward-facing petals and a crown-like structure in the center.
It typically grows in mountainous areas, such as the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, and parts of the Klamath Mountains. Heartleaf milkweed thrives in dry, rocky soils, open woodlands, and lower montane areas at elevations ranging from about 500 to 7,000 feet.
Its long tap root makes it highly drought tolerant.
This plant is especially valued for attracting monarch butterflies, as it's an important larval host for them.
Grows 1-3 feet tall
These need cold stratification to germinate. They either need 30 days of less than 45 degree weather outdoors or you can store the seeds in a moist paper towel and sealed in a plastic baggie and placed in your refrigerator for one month. This is needed in warm climates or for any climate when planting at a warmer time of year.
Even with cold stratification, seeds can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks or longer to sprout. Sprouting time varies on weather conditions. In some cases, in warmer climates, the seeds won't sprout until there is a cold snap and voila! Please note that germination is poor at temperatures of 85 degrees and above.
These can also be direct sown in fall in cooler climates where they will remain dormant and emerge in spring after a natural cold stratification.
Please note that the sap of this plant can cause skin sensitivities in some people. You should always wash your hands after handling milk weed.
Perennial zones 6-10
Zone 6: Minimum temperatures down to -10°F to 0°F. In this zone, heartleaf milkweed may die back in winter but will typically regrow in spring.
Zone 7-8: This plant thrives in these zones, with moderate winters and hot summers.
Zone 9-10: Warmer regions where frost is rare. The plant does well in the dry, rocky soils typical of these areas.
This is for 10 seeds
