Which milkweed should I plant in Southern California?
- Asclepias californica – deep pinkish/magenta-ish flowers
- Asclepias eriocarpa – creamy-white flowers and broad leaves. aka Woolypod milkweed, Indian milkweed.
- Asclepias fascicularis – white flowers and narrow leaves. aka Narrow-leaved milkweed.
- Asclepias vestita – creamy flowers and broad leaves. aka Wooly milkweed. ...
- Asclepias sublata – aka Rush milkweed. ...
Where can I purchase milkweed?
The Xerces Society's Milkweed Seed Finder and Monarch Watch Milkweed Marke t provide a directory of vendors that distribute native milkweed seeds and/or plugs. In addition, the Milkweed Market offers trays of native milkweed plugs for purchase for different regions of the country (regional availability varies).
Does milkweed grow in California?
Where does milkweed grow in California? Showy milkweed is native to much of the western half of North America. In California it is found in the Sierras and Coast Ranges, from Tulare County to Modoc and Siskiyou Counties. This flowering plant is a hairy, erect perennial that grows to about 4 feet tall. Click to see full answer.
How to germinate and grow milkweed seed?
Process to Germinate Milkweed Seeds
- Fill your containers with moist potting soil. ...
- Plant your seed. ...
- Add more soil. ...
- Mist the seeds with your spray bottle. ...
- Plant more seed. ...
- Mist the seeds. ...
- Place seeds in a location the receives morning sun and afternoon shade. ...
- Germination should occur a couple of weeks after temperatures reach 65-70F (20C) during the day.
Which milkweed is best for southern California?
In inland Southern California, Narrow Leaf Milkweed is the Monarch's native host plant, and its flowers also provide nectar. It is a perennial that grows 3-4 ft. high and forms colonies. It grows best in full sun to part shade and is a low to moderate water user.
What kind of milkweed is native to California?
Asclepias vestita is a species of milkweed known by the common name woolly milkweed. It is endemic to California, where it grows in many habitats across the state, from mountains to desert to valley.
Is butterfly milkweed native to California?
So in the simplest terms, butterfly experts say California native milkweeds, with their pink, white and cream-colored flowers are the only milkweeds we should be planting in Southern California, because they typically go dormant around December (meaning the tops of the plants die back but the roots stay alive), and ...
Is tropical milkweed native southern California?
While milkweeds native to southern California such as narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis), die back in the winter, tropical milkweed provides a year-round food source for monarchs.
Should I plant milkweed in California?
milkweed, as nectar is critical for fueling monarchs during their migration and overwintering. For most other parts of California, planting milkweed is recommended as a key strategy for helping monarchs.
When should I plant milkweed in California?
Growing Instructions: Start California Milkweed seeds outdoors in late November. Pick a location with full sun and prepare soil for good drainage, if needed. Plant seeds 1/8" deep and 18” apart, using 3 seeds per hole. Water once, and then allow the winter rain and/or snow to provide moisture until the spring.
Where should you not plant milkweed?
It is not recommended to plant milkweed within 10 miles of the coast in central and northern California where milkweed did not occur historically. Instead, plant a variety of flowers native to your region that provide nectar from early spring through fall to support monarchs and other pollinators.
Which milkweed is best for monarchs?
Female monarchs will lay eggs on all nine milkweed species, but they prefer some over others. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and common milkweed (A. syriaca) averaged the highest number of eggs.
What kind of milkweed is non invasive?
Swamp milkweed is not invasive as some other milkweeds are and behaves well in the garden.
Should I remove tropical milkweed?
It is recommended to prune the milkweed stalks to about 6 inches in height during the fall and winter months to discourage monarchs from establishing winter-breeding colonies. Cutting back the milkweed will also help to eliminate OE spores that may be present on the plant.
Is milkweed illegal in California?
Last month, county Agricultural Commissioner Ed Williams prohibited the sale of a tropical milkweed called Asclepias curassavica after the California Department of Food and Agriculture classified it as a B-rated noxious weed. That means the state considers the species detrimental and counties can ban its sale.
Should you plant milkweed in your yard?
If you want monarch butterflies to visit your garden this fall and spring, planting milkweed in your landscape is a must! Not only is milkweed a great nectar source for thirsty pollinators, it is also THE ONLY host plant that monarch butterflies lay their eggs upon.
Where should you not plant milkweed?
It is not recommended to plant milkweed within 10 miles of the coast in central and northern California where milkweed did not occur historically. Instead, plant a variety of flowers native to your region that provide nectar from early spring through fall to support monarchs and other pollinators.
Which milkweed is best for monarchs?
Female monarchs will lay eggs on all nine milkweed species, but they prefer some over others. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and common milkweed (A. syriaca) averaged the highest number of eggs.
Which milkweed is invasive?
Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is the source of the plant's bad reputation—it's quite invasive.
What is native milkweed?
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Common Milkweed is a native perennial of the eastern United States and southern Canada, though it is found most commonly in the northeast and the midwest. It can be found in upland fields, woodland margins and disturbed areas such as roadsides (Wilburg, 1979).
What is milkweed used for?
Milkweed s are most often used to create a butterfly garden. A wide variety of trees and shrubs can be used including Madrone ( Arbutus menziesii ), Pines ( Pinus sp. ), Junipers ( Juniperus sp. ), Manzanita ( Arctostaphylos sp. ), Ceanothus sp., Oaks ( Quercus sp. ), and Coyote Brush ( Baccharis sp. ). Also include other butterfly-attracting herbs such as members of the Asteraceae family, other Milkweed s ( Asclepias fascicularis or speciosa), thistles ( Cirsium sp. ), Buckwheat ( Eriogonum sp. ), Mint ( Monardella sp. ), and Sage ( Salvia sp. ). Mix early bloomers with late bloomers and evergreens with deciduous to provide year-round attraction.
Where does Asclepias californica grow?
It is native to California and northern Baja California from the East Bay region southward and the foothills of the Sierras. It is a flowering perennial with thick, white, woolly stems which bend ...
What is the name of the milkweed that loses its leaves?
Added. Asclepias subulata is a species of milkweed known commonly as the rush milkweed or ajamete. This is an erect perennial herb which loses its leaves early in the season and stands as a cluster of naked stalks. Atop the stems are flower clusters of distinctive flowers.
What is a Mexican milkweed?
Narrowleaf milkweed or Mexican whorled milkweed is a flowering perennial sending up many thin, erect stems and bearing distinctive long pointed leaves which are very narrow and often whorled about the stem, giving the plant its common names. It blooms in clusters of lavender or lavender-tinted white flowers which have five reflexed lobes that extend down away from the blossom. The fruits are smooth milkweed pods which split open to spill seeds along with plentiful silky hairs. This plant is comm...
What is a rambling milkweed?
Sarcostemma hirtellum (Funastrum hirtellum) (rambling milkweed, hairy milkweed), is a perennial, vine-like plant of mid- to lower-elevation desert regions. It is a member of the Asclepiadaceae family, and the Sarcostemma genus, the climbing milkweeds.
Where is Showy Milkweed native to?
Asclepias speciosa. Add to plant list. Added. Showy milkweed is native to much of the western half of North America. In California it is found in the Sierras and Coast Ranges, from Tulare County to Modoc and Siskiyou Counties. This flowering plant is a hairy, erect perennial that grows to about 4 feet tall.
Where does Asclepias cordifolia grow?
It is native to the western United States (California, Nevada, Oregon), growing between 50-2000 meter elevation in the northern Sierra and Cascade ranges. Heart-leaf milkweed was valued by the Native American Miwok for its stems, which they dried and processed into cordage (string and rope). Monarch butterfly ...
Where does milkweed grow?
Broadleaf Milkweed (Asclepias latifolia) is a native shrub that grows in central California.
What are the key elements of a native ecosystem?
Native plants and caterpillars are a key foundation of our whole native ecosystem. Terrestrial birds, predator/beneficial insects and a large part of the rest of the food chain depend either directly or indirectly on native plant - caterpillar pairs. For example, 96% of terrestrial bird species rely on insects to feed their young, and fat juicy caterpillars are the most important part of that diet. So if the required native plants are not present in an area, nearly all butterfly and moth species will die out in that area along with much of the other animal life that depends on them.
Where are monarchs and milkweed collected?
If you live in the greater Los Angeles area then please consider participating in the Monarchs and Milkweed of Los Angeles project. Data there is collected by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Their website address is linked for your convience. http://www.inaturalist.org/projects/monarchs-and-milkweed-of-los-angeles
When does milkweed start growing?
They usually have three types of native milkweed beginning around March. Call ahead to confirm species, quantity and verify plants have not been in contact with neonicotinoids or pesticides.
Where is Natural Bridges State Beach?
Natural Bridges State Beach is located in California on the North side of Santa Cruz. There is a butterfly sanctuary for Monarch Butterflies that is open to the public.The Monarch Trail is a place you must go.
Where do we grow native plants?
We grow primarily California native plants. Also plants from the southwest and irises too.
What is the best flower to grow in the western half of North America?
Showy milkweed ( A. speciosa) This is a good choice for the western half of North America. Ball-shaped clusters of flowers that are star-shaped and usually blush or rosy pink bloom in summer. This is another sun-loving plant that needs water.
How tall does milkweed grow?
Common milkweed ( A. syriaca) Tall stalks of common milkweed, growing mainly to 5 feet but occasionally to as much as 8 feet, contrast with shorter butterfly weed. Balls of small pink-to-purple flowers appear only in summer. This variety needs a lot of sunlight; don’t place it near areas that get any shade.
What is milkweed?
These are so easy to grow that for a long time they were considered annoying weeds instead of desirable flowers. Milkweeds are perennials and are found over much of North America.
How tall does a sage plant grow?
It is rather short, with plants growing to about 3 to 4 feet, with a few getting as tall as 6 feet. 4. Swamp milkweed ( A. incarnata) This is a more shade-tolerant variety that needs a lot of moisture, with soil that’s usually wet.
Does milkweed die in winter?
Because tropical milkweed doesn’t die back in winter in these warmer areas, the parasite doesn’t die along with the plant, and caterpillars end up ingesting a lot of those parasites. If you want to try growing tropical milkweed, it’s better to put it in a container away from other butterfly-attracting plants.
How many monarch plants are there in Texas?
If you really want some low-maintenance, monarch-friendly plants, look for varieties that are native to your region. These varieties have the best chance of doing very well and withstanding whatever climate issues your region throws at them. There are too many to discuss in one article – for example, Texas has about 36 native varieties and Nebraska has about 17 – but a few are standouts.
Where does purple milkweed grow?
This purple milkweed is native to central and southern California , and it prefers drier areas. It is drought-tolerant and grows to only about 3 feet. A distinguishing feature is the white fuzz that covers its stems.
