How To Grow Butterfly Weed From Seed

Native Honey Bee on Butterfly Weed Flowers

Butterfly weed plants are easy to grow by seed, but may not produce blooms for two or three years. Once established, butterfly weed is drought tolerant and blooms dependably from year to year. Also, keep in mind that butterfly weed has long, sturdy roots that make transplantation very difficult, so locate the plant in its permanent place in the garden.

Growing Guide

Butterfly Weed is a herbaceous, perennial milkweed plant in the Asclepiadaceae family that attracts butterflies to the garden with its clusters of bright orange yellow blooms that are rich with nectar & pollen.

Botanical Name: Asclepias tuberosa

Start indoors (for Spring planting):

1. Place seeds in moist seed starting soil.*
2. Cover & leave in the refrigerator for 2 months.
3. Remove from the refrigerator 8 weeks before the last expected frost, & place in a warm spot under grow lights. Do not let seeds dry out.
4. About 21-30 days to emerge once temperatures are above 70°F.
5. Once the seedlings have two sets of true leaves, pot them in potting soil if growing in a container or in garden soil if you plant to allow them to grow in the ground, & continue to grow inside.
6. Once all danger of frost has passed, harden off the seedlings for a week, then transplant them into the garden.

*Your container will depend on how many plants you wish to grow, space, &/or supplies on hand. For example, you can repurpose a small, cleaned yogurt container with a lid. Or you can utilize a seed starting flat with a lid.


Sow outside (direct sow in the Fall) preferred method:

Soil Temperature For Germination: 71°F
Size: 12" - 36"
Zone: 3-9
Sun: Full
Water: Dry to Medium*
Soil: Slightly acidic or Neutral (6.0-7.0); Well draining
Seed Planting Depth: 1/8-1/4"
Seed Spacing: 6-12"
Days to Germination: 21-30
Thinning: 1-2'

*For the first year after planting, in addition to environmental moisture & rainfall, plan to give your butterfly weed plants approximately 1" of supplemental water weekly. Once established, butterfly weed plants are drought tolerant & may only need monthly watering in very dry climates.

Seed Savers:
Butterfly weed plants may not produce blooms for two or three years. Once established,  they bloom dependably from year to year. Let the plants develop seed pods. Harvest the pods just as they start to open, or cover the pods with fine netting to prevent the seeds from floating away once the pods fully open.

Insect Control:
Do not use pesticides, even the organic approved (OMRI) types. The plant hosts many butterflies, including monarchs, so expect the leaves to be eaten. For insects such as aphids, use your fingers to squish them dead. Wear gloves to avoid staining your fingers. Be gentle with tender buds on the plants & look out for monarch eggs. Spraying water at the aphids really doesn't help. Diligent squishing & killing of the aphids seems to be the most efficient method & is entirely non toxic.

Fertilizer:
Do not fertilize! Fertilizer can harm the plants or make them leggy. Let the sun be their fertilizer.

Nom nom nom! Monarch Butterfly caterpillar and Aphids all enjoying my Butterfly Weed.

---

Garden Growing Guide Quick Links
Listed alphabetically

Arkansas Green Cotton
Arugula
Blue Podded Shelling Peas
Butterfly Weed
Catnip
Cilantro (Coriander)
Cocks Comb (Cleosia)
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Dill
Dyer's Woad
Erlene's Green Cotton
Hibiscus
Holy Basil (Tulsi)
 Inchillium Red Softneck Garlic
Kale
Karina Peas
Lemon Balm
Loblolly Pine Tree
Madder
Marigold
Mixed Cotton
Musquee de Provence
Nankeen Cotton
Purple Podded Pole Beans
Red Foliated White Cotton
Sea Island Brown Cotton
Spinach
Sunflowers
Tennessee Red Valencia Peanuts

You may also like:

How To Grow Milkweed From Seed

How To Grow Cockscomb Flowers From Seed