The monarch larvae, the hatchling caterpillars, feed exclusively on the thick, long milkweed leaves.
The plant grows quickly to two to four feet in height.
It grows best in an open area where there are six to eight hours of sunlight per day.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Soil
This plant prefers dry to medium average, well-drained soil.
It tolerates dry conditions, infertile soil, and rocky conditions.
It thrives in soil with a pH range of 4.8 to 7.2.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Water
Common milkweed does not need watering except in the driest conditions.
Overwatering common milkweed causes root rot.
Temperature and Humidity
Common milkweed tolerates a wide range of temperatures and humidity.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
The plant goes dormant in the winter.
Fertilizer
There’s no need to fertilize common milkweed plants.
Common milkweed tolerates poor soils.
Annie Otzen / Getty Images
Over 100 native species of milkweed plants are found in the United States.
For a more targeted planting.
The alternative is to start common milkweed seeds indoors.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
They are rather like the seeds ofdandelionsin this regard.
This occurs right before the onset of cold weather so the seeds can naturally go throughcold stratification.
Be careful where you plant milkweed.
Common milkweed spreads aggressively both from seeds and rhizomes to the point where it chokes out other plants.
It easily overwhelms a mixed border garden unless you are specifically creating a butterfly garden.
Common milkweed is not bad for monarchs, on the contrary.
Milkweed can Cause Serious Poisoning.
National Capital Poison Control.
