Help rebuild the Monarch butterflies habitat with Tuberosa Asclepias

(Butterfly Weed/Milkweed)

During the past two decades, the monarch butterfly population has seen a significant decline likely due to many factors such as loss of overwintering site habitat, changing weather patterns, a drop in forage plant diversity and the reduction in milkweed habitat.

To help increase milkweed habitat, BASF launched Living Acres, a research and education initiative dedicated to finding best practices for establishing milkweed refuges in non-cropland areas. (More information from link below.)

As the host of choice for this delicate insect, Milkweed leaves are the singular food source to the Monarch larvae. The bright orange-hued blooms are a rich source of pollen and nectar, attracting hummingbirds, bees and other beneficial insects.

More about Tuberosa Asclepias (Butterfly Weed/Milkweed).

  • Height: 30 in/76 cm
  • Easy to grow from seed, check packet instructions
  • Low maintenance
  • Long-living perennial, zones 4-9
  • Likes full sun (6 hours at least)
  • Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
  • Grows well in acidic and sandy-loam soils
  • Deadheading flowers will allow for another bloom cycle a month later
  • Seed pods are perfect for flower arrangements, fresh or dried
  • Mark planting area as emergence is slow in the spring
  • Direct seed: Can be sown in the fall or spring

Resources:

http://agro.basf.us/sustainability/

More about the Monarch Butterfly
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/migration/index.shtml

Tuberosa Asclepias (Butterfly Weed/Milkweed) Stokes Seeds Item# 605
https://www.stokeseeds.com/us/tuberosa-asclepias-milk-weed-605-group