Where can I get native milkweed seeds? Taking Master Gardening course and realize I may have the wro - Ask Extension
Hi--I'm currently taking your Master Gardening course and am in the module about invasive plants. It discusses milkweed--which I grow a lot of in my ...
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Where can I get native milkweed seeds? Taking Master Gardening course and realize I may have the wro #892484
Asked February 10, 2025, 5:30 AM EST
Hi--I'm currently taking your Master Gardening course and am in the module about invasive plants. It discusses milkweed--which I grow a lot of in my garden in Rosedale--but it doesn't share which milkweed seeds are native. I probably have non native and would like to switch to native milkweed seeds. Can you recommend which seeds I need and, perhaps, suggest a source from where I can buy them? Thank you so much
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
The most common types of native Milkweeds grown in Maryland are:
Asclepias incarnata, a.k.a. Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca or Common Milkweed and
Asclepias tuberosa, more commonly known as Butterfly Milkweed, which you can learn about on our page here:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/butterfly-weed/
It is highly likely that you are growing one of the three above, but be aware that the tropical butterfly milkweed looks similar but should not be grown here: https://xerces.org/blog/tropical-milkweed-a-no-grow)
There are several other native Milkweeds found in Maryland, including those that are uncommon or rare, as you can see at this page from the Maryland Biodiversity Project website here:
https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/checklist/?genus=Asclepias
The Maryland Native Plant Society website has great information, including native plant sales and nurseries:
https://mdflora.org/gardening
and this page from Monarch Watch has good information as well:
https://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/milkweed/milkweed-regions-seed-needs/
Christine
Asclepias incarnata, a.k.a. Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca or Common Milkweed and
Asclepias tuberosa, more commonly known as Butterfly Milkweed, which you can learn about on our page here:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/butterfly-weed/
It is highly likely that you are growing one of the three above, but be aware that the tropical butterfly milkweed looks similar but should not be grown here: https://xerces.org/blog/tropical-milkweed-a-no-grow)
There are several other native Milkweeds found in Maryland, including those that are uncommon or rare, as you can see at this page from the Maryland Biodiversity Project website here:
https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/checklist/?genus=Asclepias
The Maryland Native Plant Society website has great information, including native plant sales and nurseries:
https://mdflora.org/gardening
and this page from Monarch Watch has good information as well:
https://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/milkweed/milkweed-regions-seed-needs/
Christine
