The Tennessee DOT sent free milkweed seeds to thousands of Tennessee residents this fall through their newly instituted Project Milkweed! In this video I'll discuss how to plant your milkweed seeds, along with some recommendations for other native flowers that I highly recommend to attract the monarch butterfly.

Winter Sowing is my absolute favorite method of planting native seeds. I prefer to leave the cold stratification for winter to handle instead of replicating it in the refrigerator. Winter Sowing combines the natural elements of winter with the added protection of a mostly enclosed container to break the dormancy cycle and ensure that more of your precious seeds will make it to germination and maturity! All you need is a clear container, some soil, seeds, tape, and a marker.

I will typically begin my winter sowing around the winter solstice, starting with the seeds requiring 60 days of cold stratification before moving to those needing 30 days, like milkweed.

The three types of milkweed I've seen the TDOT sending out are:

1. Asclepias Syriaca
Common Milkweed

- 3 foot height
- Medium-wet to dry soil
- Full/partial sun
- Pink/purple flowers
- Spreads via rhizome somewhat aggressively


2. Asclepias Incarnata
Swamp/Rose Milkweed

- 4 foot height
- Medium to wet soil
- Full/partial sun
- Pink flowers
- Spreads via rhizome though milder than Syriaca


3. Asclepias Tuberosa
Butterfly Weed

- 2 foot height - Medium to dry soil
- Full/partial sun - Orange/yellow flowers
- Not an aggressive spreader
- Develops a large taproot so best transplanted when young

Some of my favorite native flowers to grow alongside milkweed are Liatris, Asters, and Goldenrod. These flowers are strong magnets for the Monarch butterfly. Planting a variety of flowers will ensure that you always have something to offer the Monarchs, even when the milkweed flowers are not in bloom. This can help draw more Monarchs to your milkweed since the flowers of milkweed are not necessary for the adult butterflies to lay eggs or for the caterpillars to feed. Don't forget to include some early spring offerings as well!

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