Wanted: Milkweed seeds for Monarch Butterflies

I just read the importance of growing common milkweed .....to help monarch caterpillars. Does any one have seeds to share for postage?

Valal I have some common, swamp, and tropical from a seed trade and my garden that I can share. I also believe there may be some in the seed swapping robin (contact Amanda Esq).

Meredith

Hi Memays,
I was reading further and it says that the aphids will find the milkweed as they apparently like it. I wanted to grow for Monarch butterflies, but not sure I want to attract aphids if I can avoid it. Do you have this issue with your common milkweed

The milkweed bugs it attracts are awful too, but are only attracted to mw, aphids will go to other plants they like better- so plant a plant aphids prefer, and squash em on the other plant. Some mw are beautiful plants, catching the bad bugs young controls most of the problems.

The aphids are bright yellow...easy to find and easy to squish. Everyone who grows milkweed will have these aphids from time to time. The plants are worth it though and the aphids are only a minor disturbance. Some people hose them off, but if you have caterpillars on the plants you don't want to hose them off too. Also i'm not convinced that hosing the aphids off actually kills them. I think they land in the dirt below and crawl right back up the plant. So i think squishing is the best way to control them. The aphids are not too persistent and i agree with Kittriana that if you start squishing them early, they won't spread. I've been squishing a few this morning. Your fingers will turn yellow but it easily washes out :-) No pesticides or other chemicals because that will kill the caterpillars and butterflies, along with the aphids.

I'm not sure what Kittriana is refering to about the other bugs. I don't get other bugs on my tropical asclepias here...just the yellow aphids and lady beetles who like to eat the chubby yellow aphids. The lady beetles will also occasionally eat a very small caterpillar or a butterfly egg but i tolerate them because mostly they eat the aphids. Asclepias flowers will attract all kinds of other butterflies because they are nectar rich but as far as i know only the monarchs use it as a host plant for their caterpillars

This message was edited Dec 7, 2014 3:27 PM

I did get the yellow aphids on both swamp and tropical milkweed. They didn't show till late summer and as V. Mentioned I used the by hand squishing method of control. Now I will confess I don't like aphids but I love butterflies. I did not get a lot of monarchs - I had only 2 passers by - but the hummers and lots of other butterflies and pollinators visited the milkweed. So I used my aphid squishing time to enjoy all the other beauty. I also got milkweed bugs late summer which I also removed.

Milkweed bugs grow into red and black beetle looking things, different instars change their look like the cats do...

Thank you, all. I have been reading with interest. I did buy some "butterfly weed" (orange perennial) and think I might start with this for next year.

I hose the aphids off with a jet of water from my hose. It's easy to get rid of. I'll be posting some of my excess butterfly seeds (all kinds) on the BEES thread sometime next week. LMK if you are interested in any of them.
WIB~
SW

I am new to gardening and really know very little.

I ordered MW seeds in order to assist in the Monarch recovery. I had planned on WS them. Yesterday, I heard MW are toxic. I have an older Labrador. He does not chew on anything but I will be getting a puppy, probably next year. Now I'm concerned about putting this out in the backyard. I also have a couple neighborhood cats I have seen swatting my plants in play in the backyard.

I would appreciate feedback. Thank you
Patti

In Our Garden: The milkweed Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) is going to seed.
Will be happy to send seeds to anyone interested in overwintering seeds outdoors in pots.
Works great! Exactly how we got ours started! We overwinter seeds every year in small pots,
then give them away! They need the cold stratification process.
Many monarchs this year/rearing many caterpillars. Postage would be appreciated!
I'm guessing here... $1.00?? Dmail me your address.

I would love some to plant in my mother's yard. I will d-mail you. Thank you.