Milkweed Showy Asclepias Speciosa is a herbaceous perennial native to western North America. Milkweed Showy seeds have to be stratified in a refrigerator for 1-2 months if they are started indoors or sown directly outdoors in spring, so the cold treatment can help to break the dormancy of the seed. Other common names of this plant are Showy Butterfly Weed, Creek Milkweed, and Greek Milkweed, and Asclepias Speciosa grows upright up to 40 inches tall featuring sturdy stems with velvety, oblong, grayish leaves and blooming with round, 3 inches across clusters of fragrant, pinkish-white to pinkish-purple, star-like flowers all summer long. The showy, sweet scented, and reach in nectar Showy Milkweed flowers are loved by monarchs, other butterflies, hummingbirds and honeybees.
Milkweed Showy is one of the best flowers to grow in butterfly gardens to attract and host monarchs, and Creek Milkweed is often planted in borders, prairies, meadows, or naturalized/native plant areas. Asclepias Speciosa seeds need light to germinate, so surface sowing is recommended, and the established Showy Milkweed prefers full sun conditions growing more vigorously in moist soil but tolerating poor soil and drought.
PLANT PROFILE
Season: Perennial
Height: 40 Inches
Bloom Season: Summer
Environment: Sun
Soil Type: Average/Poor/Dry/Moist well-drained, pH 5.8-7.2
USDA Zones: 3-9
PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS
Sow Indoors: Winter/Spring (6-8 weeks before last frost)
Sow Outdoors: Spring/Fall
Seed Depth: Surface sowing
Germination Time: 21-28 Days
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