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Milkweed

  • Using Your Local Milkweed to Check for Ozone

    Butterfly Weed (Asclepia tuberosa)

    A bright and short variety of milkweed known as butterfly weed makes a GORGEOUS addition to the edge of a lawn. You can find it in yellow, gold, orange, or red-orange. The scientific name is Asclepias tuberosa. You'll also find it sold as an herb called "Pleurisy root". It's ancient Native American home remedy; roots take 2 years to be large enough to be used. (I use a product of another herb, guaifenesin, to shake a dry cough or ear infection, and to shorten the length of a cold.)


    ONLINE ORDERING:
    Milkweed Cafe- Milkweed specialists! This site has some nice photos of different kinds of milkweed. Digital Raingardens Online Seed Catalog ~100 seeds for $3.50
    Legendary Ethnobotanical Resources Rare Seed & Plants. Different species Various prices
    Live Plants & various butterfly kits

    Specialty Perennials 40 seeds for $2

    MAIL ORDER ONLY:
    Easyliving Native Perennial Wildflowers One ounce Common $10/ Marsh $15/ Butterfly Weed $18

    FOUND AT THE STORE:


    Martha Stewart's Bird and Butterfly Collection. $8.99. Containing
    1 pack each of "Red Butterflies" asclepias curassavica, Scarlet
    runner bean, Purple coneflower, Irish Eyes blackeyed susan (with
    green middles!), Mammoth Russian sunflower. Runner beans are
    tasty! Purple coneflower= echinacea, the popular herb. Sunflowers
    are one of the few plants besides milkweeds upon which monarchs
    will lay their eggs. Available at Kmart. A dang fine collection of
    seeds!









    Botanical Interests
    $2.39/200mg (~35 seeds) Available at H.E.B. (grocery store).











    Plantation Products
    $1.59/250mg (~50 seeds) Available at Home Depot









    *** I'm looking for other brands! ***

    Growing Notes

    I've been growing the seeds in containers with clear sides so I can watch them develop. I've had no difficulty sprouting them but I've noticed that if the soil isn't sterilized the roots are often devoured by fungi and microbes. The best success I've had is with slightly moist soil that I cooked in the microwave for ten minutes.