Orange butterflies on purple milkweed ( photo / image / picture from AAnightowl's Garden ) I am not sure when I posted this photo, but since then my son mowed that section of field to be helpful...and my purple milkweed. That was two or three summers ago, and I have not seen my purple milkweed since. I do have orange milkweed in other parts of my fields, but the purple one is my favorite. Will it eventually come back, or do I need to go hunting for some to get seeds ? Thanks.
You posted the photo on the plant page in July 2011... Asclepias purpurascens I am guessing that since it hasn't come back since your son mowed it and if he mowed it before the seed pods split open, you may not see it again. You might want to start the seed hunt.
My guess would be that you need to reseed since it hasn't come back in nearly two years. Too bad... they sure were pretty!
I will be keeping my eyes open for any nearby purple milkweed. I sure do miss it. There is lots of orange milkweed around here, but the purple ones are scarce. I think I will plant them in my flower beds to be sure they do not get mowed by mistake again. A lot of native wildflowers get poisoned when the highway dept, the power company and farmers spray insecticides and herbicides willy nilly.... [I could name names, but maybe we are not supposed to.] It is a shame.
AA, I am of the mind, too, that you need to reseed. if I see any around here I will harvest it, but we too have the county dept spraying along the roads or mowing everything off and farmers using herbicides to control the weeds in and around their fields I don't see much of that here either. I do have indian hemp, which I think is in the same family and it is awful if it gets caught in the weed eater. It makes excellent fiber for making string or rope, though. I should harvest it and use it for fiber in the garden to tie up plants, BUT if you want some I will send you some of that. It does grow by rhizomes and likes it where it is damp, but will survive where it is dry, too. the foliage looks like milkweed, but the flower is insignificant in comparison. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... w&dur=1971
Forgot what color ours are. was told only plant Monarch lays their eggs. They are in our one veggy garden. Make sure I don't weed them out. Nice picture
I think I have seen Indian hemp around here Carolyn, at least the foilage looks familiar. I hope I can find some more purple milkweed, and I may try one of those wildflower sites that I posted in my other thread about wildflowers. My neighbor has some orange milkweed in her flower garden, I guess it is the tame variety though. I have some orange milkweed in my back field. The butterflies love my new larkspur flowers, but I have not seen any Monarch butterflies yet this season. Or my Eastern Tiger Swallowtails. They are normally here much earlier, but my lilacs did not bloom well this year.
Prairie Moon Nursery has it in their list of milkweeds, although right now they're out of stock. But you can have them email you when its back in. Ill check my other bookmarked nurseries too
