Milkweed TROPICAL Bloodflower Asclepias curassavica Monarch Butterfly Non-GMO 100 Seeds

Monarch Butterfly & Queen Butterfly Host Plant

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Tropical Milkweed, Bloodflower

Asclepias curassavica

Asclepias curassavica seeds do not need to be cold stratified (since it is a tropical plant). You can start these indoors about 4-8 weeks before the last frost. Plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep and keep moist. They will germinate in about 2-3 weeks.

SEED TYPE: Heirloom Seed

ALSO KNOWN AS: Tropical Milkweed, Cotton Bush, Mexican Butterfly Weed, Scarlet Milkweed

Grow Heirloom Bloodflowers / Sunset Flowers - Plant Bloodflower / Sunset Flower Seeds

Bloodflower (Asclepias curassavica) is a perennial in zones 9-10 and warm season annual in other zones.

It is a member of the milkweed family, which includes butterfly weed (A. tuberosa), prairie milkweed (A. sullivantii), and swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), midwestern native perennials in the Garden's permanent collection. The sepals of 'Red Butterfly' are scarlet and the crowns are yellow. Milkweed flowers form seedpods from which seeds with silky hairs are dispersed by wind. Bloodflower is a host plant for monarch and queen butterfly larvae and its nectar attracts many other species of butterflies to the Garden.

A unique and stunning Asclepias variety - Bloodflower or Sunset Flower - is a highly cherished plant with stunning flowers that mimic the colors of sunset. The Bloodflower is lesser known perhaps, but more colorful than its cousin, Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly Milkweed. Covering itself with gorgeous flowers of orange, yellow and red in midsummer, Bloodflower/Sunset Flower is a real dazzler in any wild garden.

Scarlet star-shaped petals framed by spiky foliage make one of our most unique offerings

Annual pollinator attractor with bright red & yellow blooms

Summer blooming and deer resistant, this variety can grow in nearly any soil

Thrives in bright, sunny growing areas

Asclepias Curassavica Pros

• Top plant for monarch egg laying
• Monarch butterflies and others use as a nectar source
• A favorite source of nectar fuel for the monarch migration
• Showy red and yellow blossoms all summer
• Seeding is not an issue in annual zones
• Easy to transplant
• Deer and rabbit resistant
• Can Still flower while it produces seed- Blooms all season
• Annual in most of US, perennial in USDA zones 8b-11
• **Must cut back in the fall in USDA zones 9-11 to prevent build up of the parasite OE.**

• Name:         Butterfly Milkweed Seeds
• Botanical Name:  Asclepias curassavica
• Life Cycle:  
• Perennial: USDA hardiness zones 8a-11 (lows -12.2 °C or 10 °F)
• Annual for zones below 8a
• Full sun to part shade
• Height: 2 to 3 feet
• Spacing: 1 to 2 ft
• Flowers: red-orange and yellow, ?silky gold?, ?silky red?
• Light Requirement:       Full Sun
• Planting Season: Spring
• Plant Type: North American Native, Tuberous-Rooted Herbaceous Perennial, Clusters of Bright Flowers Atop Upright Hairy Stems, Lanceolate Leaf Shape
• Features:    Heirloom, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Hummingbirds, Container Garden, Cut Flower Garden, Good for Dried Flowers, Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, Fragrant, Poor Soil Tolerant, Drought Tolerant
• Color:          Orange
• Blooms:      Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
• Days to Maturity: 90-120 Days
• Plant Height:        28 inches
• Plant Spacing:     15-18 inches
• Planting Depth:    1/8 inch
• Sowing Method:  Start Indoors, Direct Sow
• Cold Stratification:         Yes
• Hardiness Zones:          3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
• Ships:         Year Round

PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS: MILKWEED / ASCLEPIAS

Planting Bloodflower / Sunset Flower Seeds

Asclepias curassavica seeds do not need to be cold stratified (since it is a tropical plant). You can start these indoors about 4-8 weeks before the last frost. Plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep and keep moist. They will germinate in about 2-3 weeks.

• PLANTING SEASON: Spring
• SOWING METHOD: Direct Sow, Start Indoors
• LIGHT REQUIREMENT: Full Sun
• PLANTING DEPTH: 1/4 inch
• PLANT HEIGHT: 40 inches
• PLANT SPACING: 15 to 18 inches
• WATER NEEDS: Average
• HARDINESS ZONES: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
• DAYS TO MATURITY: 90 to 120 days