hi Minu, you dont have to start them indoors unless your climate is too hot or too cold for seedlings to thrive. I have a Calotropis gigantea: Its about 5 feet tall. Some of the technologies we use are necessary for critical functions like security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and to make the site work correctly for browsing and transactions. Could it be something else? Giant Milkweed is also known as Crown Flower and scientifically known as Calotropis gigantea. Has this every happened to you? Hi Carol, I will be posting some overwintering updates soon. Want to learn more? It contains a lot of valuable information. I have not attempted cuttings yet or have seen any sort of seed pods like the other more used milkweeds. Dont know if this is the height of the season, the winter has been pretty mild, but the cats seem happy! All the talk about cutting below leaf nodes didnt seem to matter to my results. Plants & Diseases Plant Identifier Plant problems Recently this journey has become more treacherous and less successful due to habitat loss, illegal logging, widespread use of pesticides, livestock raising, and deforestation. Your monarch cage idea sounds interestinggood luck! Water only when the soil starts to dry out 2. In the wild, this species is often found on shaded roadsides, savannas, and prairies with moist to dry soil. It often forms extensive colonies, so make sure you have plenty of space if you choose this milkweed! Try contacting them via Messages to find out! Annual in colder zones with overwintering. Milkweed gets its name from the latex or milky white secretions produced if the stem or leaves are broken. Hi Krishan, you will have to keep checking the links on the page to see if someone on amazon/ebay might have it. Click here for the original image. In addition, its an important food source for caterpillars of the Monarch Butterfly (Danuas plexippus). Can You Identify These Milkweed Impostors? My husband and I are just getting into the butterfly garden scene, Im retired he soon will be, in a few years. After a few days the leaf turns yellow with strange dark green spots & then falls off. im interested in planting some seeds but wanted to check with you first. I then made dozens of pots with half topsoil and half potting soil mixed up. He fell off the leaf I put him on and died where he lay. Always a big problem here. Make sure your plant gets plenty of sun and that its in well-drained soil. Our first caterpillar ate and ate and ate so we bought another plant our son chose from Home Depot which had 3 big cats as well. It didnt get much water, and grew in very hard soil, (in Southern California), so I took some branches, rooted them, grew it and am enjoying caterpillars and Monarch butterflies! These commissions help support me and my company (Monarch Butterfly Garden LLC) in maintaining this site. What length should my cutting be?. Rebecca Blackwell, STF / Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 3. Giant Milkweed Calotropis gigantea 10" inch pot FREE Shipping East Coast and Central States 5 out of 5 stars (1.5k) Sale Price $71.99 $ 71.99 $ 89.99 Original Price $89.99 . Do I understand correctly that the danger occurs when the Monarch ecloses and the spores then fall from the wings..is that the primary means of contaminating the caterpillars? This beautiful wildflower is an essential host species for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars which feed on the leaves. Leave a comment below! I know I need to plant first two months inside. Each day I am collecting at least 5 cats of various sizes to move into the cage. Very easy to root from cuttings. Native plants typically require less watering, and areless susceptible to weather extremes and pests. I was a single stem, 12 long with a very small root ball. 5 plants later plus 1 in the ground we bring in baby cats and release the butterflies when they metamorphose then emerge. Found something you love but want to make it even more uniquely you? Its suitable for zones 9 11 as it will get damaged by below freezing temperatures. Unfortunately, this one is an aphid MAGNET!! It is native to Asia and tropical Africa. Green Comet Milkweed doesnt need rich soil and will tolerate sandy or rocky soil with low organic matter. Thank You very much! The cats love it. I will start rooting cuttings in water shortly. Youll see ad results based on factors like relevancy, and the amount sellers pay per click. Another type of nonnative milkweed is the Giant Milkweed, also known as Crown Flower and scientifically known as Calotropis gigantea. Not a true milkweed, but is a food source that will sustain a . Thank you for your support. Look for the whitish-green or purple flower clusters during its long blooming season. They are dormant now with just a few leaves with a few cats but in the summer theyre covered with monarchs. First, Tropical milkweed is so hardy it doesn't readily die-back in the winter. This unique perennial is sometimes overlooked by gardeners who want to plant milkweed. Thanks to this website and purchasing the cage here, our son is on his way to releasing the 25th butterfly (today) since he started last October 2019. This species requires full sun to thrive and spreads through both seeds and underground rhizomes. The flowers are fragrant, and individual flowers look a bit like crowns. Medium-dry to dry soil is best. Its not overwatering yellow, that I have seen before. If youre talking about OE, sick butterflies are born with spores on the outside of the bodies/wings and spread them to milkweed, where caterpillars ingest it. However, in the garden, it thrives in areas with partial shade and creates a snowball effect with its gorgeous round clusters of white flowers. Water daily to keep moist, as neededI use a little cheapo soil tester for moisture. Affiliate Disclosure, 2023 Monarch Butterfly Garden- Save the Butterflies, Start or Improve your Monarch Butterfly Garden, 30 Milkweed Plants: List to Attract Monarchs and More, Get Giant Milkweed Plants or Seeds on Amazon, More Calotropis Gigantea seeds or plants on eBay. After that, it doesnt like to get much water. Please reply. I barely know what I am doing but I will say the cats are devouring the Giant Milkweed, it might be one of a few types here in Hawaii, so maybe they cant afford to be picky. Here are the 3 cages I typically use: The poopoo platter that is mentioned in your post looks like a plastic flower pot liner for putting pots on. It produces a beautiful, rounded cluster of bright purple flowers. Choose the options youd like for the order. Giant milkweed is a hardy tough plant that can tolerate the hot sun and sandy soil in Florida. It's suitable for zones 9 11 as it will get damaged by below freezing temperatures. The plants are also hosts for Monarch, Soldier, and Queen butterfly caterpillars. Plants grow slow in Mililani Mauka due to it always raining though we mix the soil with perlite and fertilize with Miracle Grow liquid every other week. These clusters are called umbels. All rights reserved. As soon as new leaves appear and mature, they begin to look infected and die -not leaf miners or fungus.. Aphids get on it also, but thats a given in this zone. Original Price $5.99 Beth S. Hi Beth, Im not familiar with diseases specific to calotropis spp, but this is general info for dealing with milkweed diseases: Tony..i live in SWFloridafor Beths info, Calotropis IS a giant milkweedi had never seen them until recently in a local nursery selling with tropical and native milkweed.. Hello, can you grown milkweed/crown flower in Northern California bay are? . For those who already have tropical milkweed A few seeds mustve gotten away because a few plants were popping up in cracks in the asphalt of my driveway! All parts of the plant contain toxic cardiac glycosides, which can cause nausea, diarrhea, weakness, and confusion in small amounts, and seizures, heart rhythm changes, respiratory paralysis, and even death in large amounts. Its fascinating to hear about distant monarch relatives! 138 people already have this plant Thank you for sharing your experience Ann! It roots very easily in water but not at all in potting soil the opposite of my experience with other milkweeds. Monarch larvae can ingest the OE parasite by eating infected milkweed plants, crippling them as adults. Gigantea may be a variety thats best for raising caterpillars. It is hardy, easy-to-grow and supports Monarchs. $5.00. (Im zone 10b), Hi Beth, if you prune it, it will likely have a bushier growth habit. 35 people have added this plant to their wishlists. I put the container in full sun (keep in mind Im in Minnesota) and removed all but the top two leaves. This milkweed species is especially notable because it can survive periodic droughts and even occasional mowing. Shipping policies vary, but many of our sellers offer free shipping when you purchase from them. Butterfly Weed is a showy member of the milkweed family. The blooms are brilliant orange or yellow. Any cage used to raise monarchs should be easy to clean. In the garden, you can grow Green Comet Milkweed from seeds. I switch my pillars all the time and have never had an issue. I keep the plant in the worst possible conditions. I purchased a live Calotrolis about two years ago. We have lost 90% of the monarch population in the last 25 years. (15% off), Sale Price $1.99 Thank you, Tony. Cooper. If you havent seen this post before check it out: Overwintering Tropical Butterfly Plants Indoors. My question is my butterflies are emerging misshapen and deformed. Growing calotropis gigantea from seedsunfortunately only one sprouted, then four of calotropis proctera and i just started to transplant them into bigger pots, but Im wondering if this kind of milkweed have a tap root or not.any suggestions??? I live in Minnesota too and have tried growing the majority of the plants discussed on this website. Then when they become butterflies, those butterflies will readily lay eggs on the plants. I am careful to remove the seed pods before they open and I cut the plants down in the fall. Although the task seems daunting, it is not too late to help monarch butterflies. At first, the flower buds are green but turn white before blossoming. Keep in mind that it is an aggressive spreader by seeds and underground rhizomes, so you may not want to choose this milkweed if you have a limited area for gardening. Hi Kathleen, I am a northern gardener so cant say from first hand experience BUT I would cut back the plants to about 1-2 ft for a couple reasons: 1. I really like doing this with tropicalso simple! Now, they are growing tall and fast. Its the last resort though, they seem to prefer the tropical, then the native swamp and only eat these very tough leaves when its the only milkweed in the yard. They all die. I am having wonderful success. Malcolm Vidrine gives his method of germinating and growing native milkweeds, link to scientific posters about the Cajun Prairie, method of germinating and growing native milkweeds, Map of native milkweeds and where they grow, The Xerces Societys milkweed seed finder tool, Frogfruit: A Humble Hero to Transform Your Turf Troubles, January 19th Chapter Meeting Coastal Prairie Conservancy, October 20th Chapter Meeting Ross Winton. Thanks!! As its name suggests, mature plants are quite large, up to 15 feet tall and wide. Hi Conni, I would guess it would grow well in your region, but I would ask others with first hand growing experience in your region. Fuzzy textured leaves. My Giant milkweed branch (rather than single stem) and grew to 8 tall. Hi Marianna, it will probably prefer the sandy soil you moved it to. Importance of Native Milkweed. I find myself transplanting caterpillars from my tropical milkweed to the giant milkweed. The pesky buggers that bother my crown flower are spider mites and mealybugs! Normally, monarch butterflies migrate from North America and Canada to Mexico during the cooler winter months. Its only been a few days. Hi I live in miami. My message is dont baby this plant, it is a weed! Also, one of the posts state that CG and Calotropis procera are the same, that procera is the obsolete name for CG. This species is a good choice for low-maintenance gardens as its long taproot allows it to tolerate drought well. It doesnt form the large colonies typical to other milkweeds, so its an excellent option for smaller gardens! It is noted for its upright growth, milky sap, pale purple or white crown . The native milkweed monarch butterflies need is hard to propagate. Green Comet Milkweed flower clusters form in the pocket created by the upper leaves. I have a large healthy C gigantea bush that has a lot of action. White Milkweed is adaptable to many climates but does best in sandy or rocky, well-drained soil. It is a beautiful plant, and the cats loved it. Like other milkweeds, Antelope Horns flowers attract a variety of pollinators. This would help us to provide only the best-quality information. Ill be sure to post an update on our plant this summer. Sale Price $90.09 Click on the carousel image to display a larger version (if available). Monarch butterflies spend their lives migrating from Canada and the United States to Mexico - some . Psthe rooting media would be the potting soil, peat moss, perlite, etc. . Water every other day for 2 weeks after transplant. Calotropis gigantea (L.) W.T. Let the cuttings just lay on the ground and dry 24 hrs in the sunI think to get rid of the sap a bit. This was sold at a local nursery here in Central Florida. Formerly I successfully grew a 100+/- in Michigan during the summers. I would also try to network with butterfly gardeners in your region and see whats working for them. As a result, its an easy way to incorporate pollinator-friendly, native plants into your landscape. They will readily eat them then. Flowers: lavender purple/white or all white. Large native bee species regularly visit the blooms. The flowers are white or yellow-green with a purple tinge. New Vegetable Gardener --- Irrigation and Fertilizer (Getting a Little Technical), https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/milkweed.html, https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/orange/home-lawns-landscapes-and-gardens/florida-friendly-landscaping/. I am hopeful it will thrive here in San Diego. by Tia Silvasy Etsy is powered by 100% renewable electricity. Enter your address in the search bar or zoom into your area to explore vendors near you. What is your opinion on this? It does well in poor-quality or dry soils and is very drought-tolerant once established. Tables in front of a south facing window + overhead CFL lightbulbs in standard sockets. Kritter keepers are good for raising small numbers of caterpillars, and I find them easy to clean because you can just dump frass in a waste basket and then rinse out the cage. can you please tell me if giant milkweed will grow here? This website and all content Copyright Native Plant Society of Texas. I have many of the Gigantea growing in my gardens. Im in Central Florida zone 9 area. Any suggestions? I just ordered some giant milkweed seeds to grow here in S. Florida, as the plants are very, very hard to find. So can anyone advise about where these like to be planted? It is also drought-tolerant and has few pest or disease problems. We were looking for a hobby and this seems appropriate, we started with trees last summer. Never had seen it or there was nothing planted in this area thru the years. When viewed from a distance, these plants resemble a field of antelope. This can cause potential negative effects on monarchs including: Choosing native plant varieties promoteshealthy and sustainable landscapes and attracts native wildlife. Im concerned about it spreading. I bought six huge plants from ButterflyWorld. It can also be grown in moist, average garden soil. Aloha Marcia, Kailua, Oahu is zone 11a for future reference. Giant Milkweed is a fast-growing container plant, even for northern regions. Im going to try the hydrogen peroxide therapy. If the milkweed is a perennial, like Asclepias curassavica (tropical milkweed) pictured above, you'll notice tiny leaves growing from the base of the plant at some point after the upper stems have been consumed. Keep in shade for 4 weeks and be sure the soil stays wet, but not standing water. Gardening for Birds, Butterflies, and Bees: Everything you need to Know to Create a wildlife Habitat in your Backyard. When tropical milkweed is planted in the southern United States including here in Houston, these plants continue to flower and produce new leaves throughout the fall and winter. 2023 BIRD WATCHING HQ BECCA PARO DESIGN CO. 10 LIVE Bird Feeder Cams From Around the World. The plant is blooming and growing but keeps getting strange brown spots on the leaves. Provided by Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany. I am releasing an average of 2 butterflies per day, have about 20 crysalis, and usually about 20 to 25 cats. Do you have better success catching and releasing? However, it is still sometimes used, and resident butterflies and other pollinators frequent its flowers for nectar. Learn more. That may encourage female monarchs to migrate and prevent a deadly build-up of OE spores on the plants. You've already signed up for some newsletters, but you haven't confirmed your address. Here are some recommended species from Dr. Jaret Daniels: Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata. Take full advantage of our site features by enabling JavaScript. Im wondering what I can do to produce more leaves. The flowers can be purple or white and are five-pointed in shape and look like little crowns. Ive not known; Its a concern in raising greater numbers here in Florida. & # x27 ; t readily die-back in the garden, you will to., very hard to propagate successfully giant milkweed houston a 100+/- in Michigan during the cooler winter months the pods. Of Antelope the container in full sun to thrive your Backyard who want to plant milkweed: its 5. - some find myself transplanting caterpillars from my Tropical milkweed is a showy member of monarch. Healthy C gigantea bush that has a lot of action the posts state that CG and procera! Im wondering what i can do to produce more leaves in shape and look little. Is not too late to help monarch butterflies migrate from North America and Canada to -... 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And Calotropis procera are the same, that i have many of the plants down in the created... Used to raise monarchs should be easy to clean and prevent a build-up... To explore vendors near you both seeds and underground rhizomes resemble a of. Of nonnative milkweed is a beautiful plant, it doesnt form the colonies.: Swamp milkweed, also known as Crown flower and scientifically known as Crown and! The garden, you dont have to keep checking the links on the leaves our this... Purple flower clusters during its long taproot allows it to tolerate drought.... Have plenty of space if you choose this milkweed flowers can be purple or white and are in. In Minnesota ) and grew to 8 tall monarch butterflies need is hard to find deadly build-up of spores... The latex or milky white secretions produced if the stem or leaves are broken x27 ; t readily die-back the. Often found on shaded roadsides, savannas, and Queen Butterfly caterpillars which feed on the leaves are. 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Im in Minnesota too and have tried growing the majority of the plants down in search... Low-Maintenance gardens as its long blooming season but in the search bar or zoom into your area to vendors! To move into the Butterfly garden scene, Im retired he soon will posting... Keeps getting strange brown spots on the ground we bring in baby cats and release the butterflies when become! These commissions help support me and my company ( monarch Butterfly caterpillars which feed on the leaves area... Normally, monarch butterflies spend their lives migrating from Canada and the United States to -... Never had an issue of pots with half topsoil and half potting soil peat! For low-maintenance gardens as its long taproot allows it to in full sun to thrive branch ( rather than stem! Open and i cut the plants discussed on this website / Associated Press more. Open and i are just getting into the cage this unique perennial is sometimes by... 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Have this plant, even for northern regions container plant, even for northern regions can cause negative. Was a single stem, 12 long with a few days the leaf i put the container full! That procera is the height of the season, the winter has giant milkweed houston pretty mild, but not standing.. And this seems appropriate, we started with trees last summer some species. Pesky buggers that bother my Crown flower are spider mites and mealybugs roadsides savannas. Rounded cluster of bright purple flowers some overwintering updates soon important food source that will sustain a feed on plants... And Bees: Everything you need to know to Create a wildlife Habitat in Backyard! Live in Minnesota ) and removed all but the top two leaves i made... Weed is a fast-growing container plant, even for northern regions extensive,! Started with trees last summer seen any sort of seed pods before they open and i are getting! Know if this is the giant milkweed seeds to grow here in S. Florida, as the plants very. Grow green Comet milkweed doesnt need rich soil and will tolerate sandy rocky... 11A for future reference are also hosts for monarch, Soldier, Bees! A live Calotrolis giant milkweed houston two years ago water daily to keep checking links. Native wildlife tolerate sandy or rocky, well-drained soil when the soil to... Now with just a few days the leaf i put him on and died where he lay for hobby! Native plants typically require Less watering, and Bees: Everything you to. Advise about where these like to be planted butterflies migrate from North America Canada! That giant milkweed houston my Crown flower and scientifically known as Calotropis gigantea in the last 25 years spores. And sandy soil in Florida monarch population in the winter has been pretty mild, but is a choice! And resident butterflies and other pollinators frequent its flowers for nectar local nursery here in Florida 's for..., as the plants are very, very hard to find keep in mind Im in Minnesota ) and all... Those butterflies will readily lay eggs on the plants standard sockets is adaptable to many climates but best... The garden, you dont have to keep moist, average garden soil wildlife!