Silky Deep Red Milkweed

Vibrant deep red, golden-centered flowers are rich with nectar, drawing in monarch butterflies and other beneficials. This tropical annual milkweed is easy to grow; flowering quickly from seed, blooms the entire season, and makes an excellent cut-flower. 

40 seeds

PLANTING

Asclepias curassavica

Annual- Perennial, zones 7-10

Germination: 14-30 days

Seed Planting Depth: Sow ⅛-¼” deep

Starting Indoors: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before the last frost. Provide 65-70ºF soil temperatures until germination. Transplant new seedlings into individual biodegradable peat/cow pots/paper pots. This helps reduces root damage wh transplanting. Transplant around the last frost date,12-18” apart.

Sowing Outdoors: Direct sow outdoors in mid-spring, spacing 3-5 seeds every 12". 

Spacing: 12-18”

Growth Habit:  Upright, branching

Height and Width:  36-48” x 12-24"

Light Needs:  Full sun 

Soil Needs:  Average, moist to well-drained

Approximate days to flower from seed: 90-100 days

Uses: Wildflower and cottage gardens, low wet areas, cut flower, deer resistant, low maintenance, attracts butterflies and beneficials

Care: Water seedlings regularly until established. Amend the soil with compost before transplanting. Deadheading encourages a second bloom and reduces self-seeding.