Milkweed

Snoopp · ‎02-02-2015

Milkweed is supposed to attract butterflies. Has anyone ever container planted this? I don't even know where I would buy it, but I'd like to attract some butterflies.

FastDogWalker2 · ‎03-10-2010

I found some at a local nursery and planted it in my garden. It did attract butterflies and they laid eggs and we hadcocoons. It was very cool! I don't think it winter over Ed though.

Snoopp · ‎02-02-2015

@FastDogWalker2 I found a local nursery that will have the native plants to my area in a few months, so I'm looking forward to planting them. I'll put them in the ground. Looking forward to seeing the monarchs come back and hope they bloom this summer.

nomar · ‎03-12-2010

i Have mine in BIG pots and they do over winter. This winter may have killed them however with temps at -33 and below zero temps for over a week. I have seed from the pods last year stored in the frig and will plant them. A friend gave me the seeds to start my milkweed and I also bought Roberta's milkweed plants. They keep coming back, even in the pots. I went to a nursery an hour away from here one time trying to find native plants and they had teens working in there. Someone had sprayed the milkweed plants that had the Monarch catapillars on them. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying much. Last year I .fought aphids later in the season, so this year I am moving my pots away from some Clematis plants and keeping all the milkweed together in one area. I had so much fun watching the butterlies emerge and learn to fly. It was late August or early Sept, but worth the wait.

Shaunac · ‎09-22-2010

I've seen milkweed at Home Depot. You just have to be there at the right time. Plants come and go pretty quickly there.

CJC · ‎03-11-2010

Milkweed can be found at Lowe's and Home Depot here in South. Not available all the time, but they do carry it. I plant mine along side dark blue salvia and yellow lantana since monarchs are attracted to blue, yellow and red. After the monarch caterpillars have eaten every leaf on the milkweed I cut them back and new stalks emerge. We have tons of butterflies. Secret is to attract them to your garden by planting butterfly attracting plants. At Home Depot the care tag on each plant will have a small butterfly symbol printed in upper right corner if plant is a butterfly magnet.

nomar · ‎03-12-2010

I try to read all I can about Monarchs and I think I once read they can smell milkweed plants from 12 miles off. Sounds incredible if true. I will try the lantana around mine to see if it helps with getting moe to come in.

Kabella · ‎02-24-2016

Milkweed is a host Plant for Monarch Butterflies. They lay their eggs which turn into caterpillars which they vigorusly eat the leaves & the plant is a skeleton but not dead because the leaves do form again shortly. When the Catterpillars mature they form a Chysilis which then the butterfly is born. They also need Nectar flowering plants so that the butterflies can feed off of...YES, you can put Milkweed into containers. The milkweed forms seedpods which opens with the seeds which you can also put several seeds into a small container & get new plants. I have a butterfly garden so I have so many milkweed & other hosts plants that attract different types of butterflies. You will find most Milkweed at local nurseries. I do see them at Home Depot & Lowe's in late spring. @Snoopp You don't need a large space to butterfly garden. Many video's on youtube. The one I like the most is the "10 Comandments of Butterfly Gardening" which is fasinating.