💜💜 2 PURPLE Milkweeds❣️🌿🌿🧐

Happy 🐫 Day Good GROWer,

and welcome back to Milkweed Madness 🪴🪴🪴🪴

As the first monarchs arrive back in the southern US, it's prime time to start planning (or planting!) your new milkweed for the upcoming season…

Milkweed Madness: Purple Edition 💜💜

Today illustrates a prime example of why it’s so important to buy milkweed plants/seeds by their botanical (scientific) name.

Many of you have probably heard of purple milkweed, but less are aware there are two different types that have little in common and thrive in polar opposite growing conditions. Here's info on both varieties to see which grows best for your region:

Eastern Monarchs

Asclepias purpurascens (eastern purple milkweed- some say this milkweed boasts the most beautiful bloom color of any milkweed variety...do you agree?)

We grow A. purpurascens in our Minnesota garden and it continues to be a reliable native plant for attracting monarchs to our butterfly garden. It takes a bit longer to establish itself compared to the explosive growing common milkweed, but I promise, it’s well worth the wait!

Western Monarchs

Asclepias cordifolia (western purple milkweed- a drought tolerant variety that grows well in rocky soil.)

Coming Up Next

Starting milkweed…from seed 🌱🌱🌱

Enjoy your final day of winter ☃️

Tony G