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Wednesday - April 22, 2015

From: Rosanky, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seed and Plant Sources, Butterfly Gardens, Herbs/Forbs
Title: sources of milkweed in Bastrop, Texas
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

Where can I buy milkweed in Bastrop County? Can I plant in containers in garden soil? Thanks

ANSWER:

There has been a rush to plant milkweed as host plants for Monarch caterpillars. Consequently, the supply of suitable milkweed species has been exhausted at many commercial growers. This is aggrevated by the difficulty in obtaining milkweed seeds. The only milkweed now available in many nurseries is Asclepias curassavica, Tropical milkweed, whose seeds are easy to obtain. Some scientists believe that this species can do more harm than good for Monarchs because it continues to bloom well into fall, encouraging Monarchs to lag behind rather than migrate south. If you can find Tropical milkweed, it would be advisable to cut back the vegetative portions in early fall. Or you could plant the milkweed in a pot and move the pot indoors.