"There are only a few milkweeds that don’t require full sun such as Poke Milkweed. For those of you with sun exposure limited to a few hours in the AM, this milkweed is for you. It has delicate leaves and groups of flowers that cascade down in a way that reminds me of fireworks. " — Bobby Gendron
- Latin name: Asclepias exaltata
- Quantity of seeds per packet: 20
- Monarch butterfly host plant
- Drooping white flowers
- Native to the eastern United States
- Hardy perennial
- 24" - 48" tall
- Blooms from June until July
- Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 - 11
Growing Instructions: Start Poke Milkweed seeds outdoors in late November. Pick a location with morning sun or filtered sun and prepare soil for good drainage, if needed. Plant seeds 1/8" deep and 18” apart, using 3 seeds per hole. Water once, and then allow the winter rain and/or snow to provide moisture until the spring. The seeds will germinate 10 - 20 days after the danger of nighttime freezing has past. Once the seedlings reach 1", thin out so you have individual plants spaced 18” apart. Water regularly allowing the soil to go nearly dry between each watering. Fertilize monthly in the summer with a general purpose fertilizer. If you prefer to plant the seeds outdoors in the spring, read our detailed instructions on cold moist stratification.
Poke Milkweed Range Map:
Map ©: Kartesz, J.T. 2013. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
Poke Milkweed is native to the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin