Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Tuberosa) 30 seeds (#1855)

Butterfly gardens, meadows, prairies, or naturalized/native plant areas. Also effective in sunny borders. Whether massing plants in large drifts or sprinkling them throughout a prairie or meadow, butterfly weed is one of our showiest native wildflowers.
A virtually hassle-free, very long lived perennial, offering three months of tangerine orange blooms (occasionally red or yellow) from early through late summer. Deadheading the flowers will stimulate another bloom cycle about a month after the first one. The flowers, which are heavily laden with nectar and pollen, are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, Monarch butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.
Gather bouquets of Asclepias all summer long; the long stems are wonderful for cutting and are long-lasting. Sear the ends of the cut stems over a flame to stop the milky sap from leaking out.
Following the fabulous flowers, green fruits develop which rupture to reveal seeds with long, silvery-white, silky hairs reminiscent of its cousin, common milkweed. These are great to use in dried flower arrangements.
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Drought tolerant. Does well in poor, dry soils. New growth tends to emerge late in the spring. Plants are easily grown from seed, but are somewhat slow to establish and may take 2-3 years to produce flowers. Mature plants may freely self-seed in the landscape if seed pods are not removed prior to splitting open. Butterfly weed does not transplant well due to its deep taproot, and is probably best left undisturbed once established.
Information source: www.perennialresource.com.

Genus - Asclepias
Species - Tuberosa
Common name - Butterfly Weed
Pre-Treatment - Required
Hardiness zones - 3 - 9
Height - 0,30 - 0,75 m
Spread - 0,30 - 0,45 m
Plant type - Perennial flower
Exposure - Full Sun
Growth rate - Medium
Soil PH - Acidic, Neutral
Soil type - Average garden soil, well drained
Water requirements - Average, Drought tolerant
Landscape uses - Butterfly gardens, meadows, prairies, or naturalized/native plant areas. Also effective in sunny borders.
Bloom season - June - August
Leaf / Flower color - Green / Yellow - orange

GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
Sow seeds directly outside in fall (November is a good option for most regions)
or
Start seeds indoors 2 months before final frost. Seeds must be cold stratified as described bellow:
1. Soak in water for 12 hours.
2. Place the seeds on the wet coffee filter, then fold the filter over them so they stay inside.
3. Place folded filter inside a plastic sandwich bag and seal the bag shut.
4. Place the sandwich bag inside of a food container and secure the lid.
5. Refrigerate your seeds in a safe place inside your refrigerator for about a month.
6. After a month, remove seeds from the refrigerator and plant them in a seed starting tray or a pot, or sow directly outdoors.