I don't know if you are referring to asclepias, but the nurseries sell it. I have some seed of a variety that is yellow. I would be willing to send you some. Can you e-mail me?

Have you been to the Butterfly house that is at Cypress Gardens? You will love it. It is out near Moncks Corner and it is my favorite of all of the gardens...

Carolyn the Gardninlady

The only type of milkweed I have found here in the coastal areas is Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed). I don't believe any of the other types are happy here. It can be found for sale at local nurseries potted, but it is very difficult to transplant. Best grown from fall sown seed in a hot, dry, sunny location and never disturbed. Very late to show new growth in the spring.
In the meantime, Monarch's are very happy laying eggs on parsley. Every nursery has these plants for sale and should meet your need for this year. I find it grows best in large pots here in the Low Country, planted in the fall in good compost. Over winters well and by this time of year the plants are tall, thick and strong. But, you still have enough time to get some reasonable growth on nursery purchased parsley plants if you plant them right away.

While Asclepias tuberosa is the most common milkweed along the SC coastal plain, we have some others that are not so prevelant. Asclepias lanceolata, Asclepias rubra, Asclepias perennis (aquatic milkweed), Asclepias humistrata (sandhills milkweed), and Asclepias cinerea (Walter's milkweed)are scattered throughout our longleaf pine savannahs/flatwoods, xeric ridges, pocosins, etc.. I recommend picking up Richard Porcher and Douglas Rayner's book "A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina", to learn where to actually find some of these in their native habitats. I've had good luck growing the tuberosa variety from seed. I think the last time I went to Cypress gardens they had some milkweed for sale- might be yet another reason to make the trip. Oh- be advised this milkweed tends to get lots of yellow aphids- though a good blast of water from your garden hose can keep them at bay.

Even with the aphids, a good crop of these will take care of the 'problem'. Milkweed is worth the trade-off.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1246174}}

Hey Nana,
I have milkweed seeds also. It's an orange-red variety.
Email me if you're interested in some. Good luck with
the butterflies.

Brenda

Pete's Herb Farm has asclepias tuberosa. If you can't get out to the farm itself on John's Island (one of my all time favorite places to go) the sell plants at the Farmer's Mkt in Charleston on Sat. am and Mt Pleasant on Tues afternoon. I just had 12 swallowtail caterpillars on my fennel. They are now in chrysalis. It's so exciting.

Sue

Asclepias currisavica is the tropical milkweed that we get at nurseries and is easy to grow. It is very attractive to monarchs and they will eat it down flat to the ground. It grows easily from seed, so save it from year to year. It comes in yellow and red or just plain yellow. Tropical milkweed is much easier to grow than A. tuberosa. Here in zone 8b I always get a few volunteers every spring but overwinter a quart pot in the greenhouse just in case.

I am looing for these Milkweeds: Asclepias lanceolata, Asclepias rubra, Asclepias perennis (aquatic milkweed), Asclepias humistrata (sandhills milkweed), and Asclepias cinerea (Walter's milkweed)as well as all the others. I f you have some EVEN JUST LIKE FIVE SEEDS OF ONE SPECIES E-MAIL ME PLEASE! I will be glad to send a SASE or SASBE for some of those seeds that I mentioned above.
Thank-you all so much,
Danny