Plan to transplant your seedlings into their permanent home as soon as possible, ideally when temperatures are between 65°F and 85°F. Evening is the perfect time to plant, as the cool air and soft light protect new transplants from extreme stress. 

If you need to delay planting, keep the shipping box open and under sunlight to jumpstart photosynthesis.

Immediately after transplanting, thoroughly water the soil around the base of the plant. This eliminates air pockets and helps the roots settle comfortably into their new surrounding soil.

Most milkweed varieties require 6 to 8 hours of bright, direct sunlight daily, but it's important to tailor the location to your specific species. For instance, Swamp milkweed flourishes in direct, unfiltered sun and requires consistently moist soil. On the other end of the spectrum, Showy and Butterfly milkweed are far more drought-resistant and adapt well to partial shade. If you are planting Poke milkweed, choose a more sheltered, shady spot, as it is the most shade-tolerant variety we offer. 

Milkweed prefers well-draining soil. Many species tolerate dry conditions and poor soil. Swamp milkweed needs more moisture and likes consistently damp soil. Orange Butterfly milkweed thrives in drier areas with sandy or gravelly soils. 

In general, standard potting mix from the store will work for all milkweed varieties. Consider adding a light mixture of gravel or perlite to increase drainage if you have drought-tolerant varieties.

Young milkweed seedlings benefit from regular watering, but established plants generally don't need supplemental water (unless experiencing a drought or the leaves are drooping). Water deeply when the soil is completely dry. Swamp milkweed needs more water, being tolerant of consistently damp soil. Butterfly milkweed likes less water, preferring an occasional drought.

Milkweed plants typically don't need fertilizer. Too much nitrogen can create more leaves instead of flowers. (Your milkweed will still attract and support Monarchs without actively blooming flowers.) But while your milkweed is still a small seedling, it can benefit from supplemental nutrients.

Milkweed plants typically don't need fertilizer. Too much nitrogen can create more leaves instead of flowers. (Your milkweed will still attract and support Monarchs without actively blooming flowers.) But while your milkweed is still a small seedling, it can benefit from supplemental nutrients.

Do not use pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides as the fragile monarch caterpillars will ingest these toxins when eating the leaves. Either physically remove pests, or leave the pests alone and allow natural predators to find and eat them. For in-soil pests, diatomaceous earth can be applied directly to the soil, but the soil must be covered so the caterpillars won’t come in contact with the diatomaceous earth. Other options include beneficial nematodes that will live in your soil and eat bad pests while not affecting the plant or caterpillars. 

Many pests like aphids and thrips are common on milkweed, but usually will not cause significant damage. Besides using natural predators like ladybugs, you can also spray off pests with your water hose or pluck them by hand.

Allow the plant to fully die back in the winter to help limit pests and diseases, which also encourages monarch butterflies to continue their migration. By fall/winter, cut back any milkweed that isn’t already going dormant by itself (especially with Tropical milkweed). Keep the soil intact over winter, even if it looks like nothing is there, the roots will remain and the milkweed will grow back in the spring. 

Some milkweed species can spread aggressively, especially if they’re not native to your area. This is especially true with tropical milkweed and common milkweed. If you want to contain the plant, grow it in a raised bed or container. Keep non-native plants away from wild areas, regularly uprooting any unwanted offshoots. Remove and collect seed pods before they release seeds wildly.

If you will be absent, moving, or otherwise cannot maintain the surrounding garden space, remove all non-native plants by digging deeply and removing all roots. Roots can be killed off in your oven, or by wrapping them in an air-tight plastic bag and placed in the garbage.

Click here to see the native milkweed in your state. 

https://www.growmilkweedplants.com/map

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata): 

Prefers moist to wet soil and does well in areas with higher rainfall and humidity. Native to the Southeastern swamplands. 6 to 8+ hours of direct sunlight. Swamp milkweed enjoys heavy soil with daily watering. Do not let the soil dry out for many days in a row.

Orange Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa): 

Thrives in drier areas and likes sandy or gravelly high-draining soils. 6 to 8+ hours of direct sunlight. Butterfly milkweed requires less water compared to other species, being an extremely drought-tolerant variety. Allow the soil to dry out occasionally, followed by a deep watering.

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca): 

Warning: Can spread aggressively; Best managed inside a pot. Tolerates a wide variety of conditions, including dry soil, infertile soil, and rocky conditions. It doesn’t need constant water like swamp milkweed, but it’s also slightly less drought tolerant than butterfly milkweed. 6 to 8+ hours of direct sunlight. 

Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa): 

Native to western states in colder climates. Tolerates a variety of soil but tends to do best in well-draining, dry soil. More tolerant of cold and shade. Let the top few inches of soil dry out in between waterings. 6 to 8+ hours of direct sunlight.

Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica):

Warning: Can spread aggressively; Best managed inside a pot. Often the easiest and quickest milkweed to grow, although it carries some risks that require a diligent gardener (see “Is tropical milkweed bad?” under FAQ). Tropical milkweed should be planted in above-ground pots and regularly cut down at the end of every butterfly season. While it can be drought tolerant once established, tropical milkweed benefits from more water and humidity. 6 to 8+ hours of direct sunlight.

Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata):

Partial shade to full shade; 2 to 6 hours of direct sunlight, with the rest of the day being shaded. We grow our poke milkweed facing the east, where it receives direct morning sunlight and then goes under shade for the rest of the day. This is the most shade-tolerant variety of milkweed. Tolerates a variety of soil, especially clay, loam, sand, and acidic soil. Poke milkweed enjoys average watering, where the soil is not waterlogged but also doesn’t dry out completely. Let the top 2-3 inches of soil dry out, then water deeply.

Balloon Milkweed (Gomphocarpus physocarpus):
Also known as Hairy Balls and Swan Milkweed. Despite not being classified as "Asclepias" like most milkweed, balloon milkweed is still in the same Apocynaceae family, containing the milky cardenolides that all Monarch caterpillars eat. While still growing, balloon milkweed needs consistently moist soil without being waterlogged. Once fully grown, it's drought tolerant. 6 to 8+ hours of direct sunlight.

Tropical milkweed is considered the riskiest type of milkweed to plant if you’re not in its native area, which is generally South America, Central America, and Mexico. This is because Tropical milkweed doesn’t naturally die back in the winter. Unlike native milkweeds, which die back every winter, tropical milkweed remains evergreen, encouraging monarchs to breed year-round instead of migrating, potentially leading to increased parasite loads and lower migration rates.

In addition, emerging research suggests that tropical milkweed may become toxic to monarch caterpillars when the plants are exposed to the warmer temperatures associated with climate change. Under these conditions, tropical milkweed produces higher cardenolide concentrations. Monarch caterpillars are tolerant of these chemicals⁠—in fact, cardenolides are the very compound that protects the monarch from predation. But when the cardenolide concentrations are high enough, not even monarch caterpillars can withstand them. In contrast, swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) has naturally lower cardenolide levels and does not exhibit the same radical changes in toxicity as tropical milkweed.

With all that being said, you can avoid many of these problems by simply cutting back Tropical milkweed in late fall or early winter, and collecting the seed pods before they can spread wildly. Keep tropical milkweed in patios or shady areas during extreme heat. Additionally, do not plant tropical milkweed in the ground. Only plant tropical milkweed in above-ground pots separated from the ground soil. This is because milkweed can reproduce through offshoot roots in the ground.

Tropical milkweed is NOT for lackadaisical gardeners. If you’re looking for a set-it-and-forget-it milkweed, only plant native varieties (not tropical milkweed).

When purchasing milkweed from Feeding the Monarchs, we will NOT sell Tropical milkweed unless it's specifically requested by the buyer.

Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) is a harmful protozoan parasite that infects monarch butterflies, weakening them and reducing their survival. This disease spreads when infected adults scatter microscopic spores onto eggs or milkweed, which caterpillars then consume. Once inside, the parasite multiplies, causing severe infections that can stunt growth, deform wings, or even kill the host butterfly. Infected butterflies often emerge too weak to fly or migrate, particularly damaging for Eastern monarchs that travel long distances to Mexico. OE thrives in areas where monarchs breed year-round, such as where Tropical milkweed is present, as it disrupts natural migration cycles and increases parasite buildup. To combat OE, only plant native milkweed (which dies back seasonally), disinfect rearing habitats between every generation, and avoid captive breeding if you can’t clean the area one to two times a day.

In areas with nonmigratory monarch populations, such as southern Florida, Hawaii, and parts of coastal California, OE and other diseases persist at high levels year-round because the butterflies remain in the same area without the natural population reset that occurs during migration. Unlike migratory monarchs, which leave heavily infected individuals behind during their long journeys, sedentary populations continuously recycle pathogens, leading to higher infection rates. It’s important to supply fresh, uninfected milkweed to these populations yearly and regularly remove old milkweed. Every fall/winter, cut back the entire stalk of milkweed down to the roots, as OE only survives on the surface of leaves. The plant will regrow next year with fresh, healthy leaves.

Plant native milkweed species that die back in winter, as this encourages natural migration and reduces parasite buildup. Otherwise, manually cut down any milkweed that is not already going dormant by itself in late fall or early winter. (As long as the roots are intact, it will regrow in the spring.) This is especially common with Tropical milkweed, so take special care to avoid the wild spreading of Tropical milkweed and monitor its growth and dormancy. Remove seed pods from Tropical milkweed before they naturally release. 

If you’re hand-rearing monarchs, disinfect enclosures with a mild bleach solution, remove frass (caterpillar poop) daily, and test adult butterflies for OE by gently pressing their abdomen onto clear tape to check for spores under a microscope (see below). Do NOT attempt to hand-rear Monarchs under any circumstances if you cannot commit to it daily with great vigilance, using an especially large enclosure to avoid high concentrations of parasites and diseases. 

Although it’s sad that many monarch butterflies die in the wild, it’s important for their genetic diversity that only the strongest butterflies reproduce. It’s unsustainable for weak, diseased butterflies to create more weak, diseased babies. 

Milkweed doesn’t always bloom in its first year, especially if it’s started late in the season. But even without flowers, monarch butterflies have an incredible ability to find milkweed in any stage of growth. You do NOT need actively blooming flowers for milkweed to still be beneficial to the monarchs butterflies and their caterpillars. 

Plant more native flowers around the milkweed to attract pollinators. A wide variety of flowers benefits both the monarch butterflies and other pollinating insects, like bees.

Yes, milkweed is toxic to pets, including dogs, cats, and livestock, due to the same cardenolides that feed the Monarchs. The level of toxicity depends on the amount ingested and the species of milkweed, as well as how big your pet is.

Thankfully, milkweed ingestion is rare because it’s extremely bitter and bad-tasting. Animals usually only eat milkweed out of intense hunger and desperation. Well-fed dogs and cats will naturally steer clear of the yucky taste. It’s easy to prevent your pets from reaching milkweed by fencing off areas of milkweed. You can also wrap the sides of containers and garden beds in chicken wire, while leaving the top open for flying insects to come in.