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Wednesday - February 11, 2015

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seed and Plant Sources, Butterfly Gardens, Herbs/Forbs, Vines
Title: Milkweed species for Central Texas
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

What milkweed should I plant in the flood plain behind my house on Brushy Creek.

ANSWER:

Asclepias asperula (Antelope horns) occurs widely in Texas on dry land.

Asclepias oenotheroides (Zizotes milkweed) loves sandy soil.

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterflyweed) This one requires good drainage.

Asclepias viridiflora (Green milkweed) Here is the propagation protocol from Native Plant Network.

Asclepias viridis (Green antelopehorn) recommended* Seeds are available from Native American Seed in Junction TX.

Matelea gonocarpos (Anglepod) This is a vine, but finding seeds or plants may be difficult.

Monarch Joint Venture recommends A. asperula, A. oenotheroides and A. viridis for Texas. They also give you hints on growing milkweeds. OurHabitatGarden.org has excellent instructions for collecting seeds and growing milkweeds. Here are more "Growing Instructions" from Live Monarch. Live Monarch also has seeds, but not those recommended above. Here is information on Growing Milkweeds from Monarch Watch. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation has a webpage, Milkweed Seed Finder, to help you locate seeds.

The most readily commercially available milkweed seeds in many areas are of Asclepias curassavica (Tropical milkweed), a non-native. However, recent research indicates that the long blooming time of Tropical milkweed tends to hold Monarchs in northern localities too long, interfering with their normal migration. Tropical milkweed is therefore not a good choice for Monarch lovers.