Would those of you who were fortunate to receive Red Ring Milkweed seeds from ctnchpr via Jeff recently, please come back and tell us how you fared with getting them to germinate, as well as the germination methods you tried?

If one is able to locate seed of this milkweed, it appears to be quite difficult to get them to germinate. I would love to hear what method everyone tried with their seeds to use as a reference for future attempts at germination.

My thanks for your time.

Mary

Thank you. I'll look forward to your report next summer.

I've about decided to cold stratify my seed in the fridge for 8 weeks, placing half the seeds in a damp coffee filter inside a plastic zip lock and the other half in a damp potting soil & perlite mix, sealed in a plastic bag. The first of January, I'll place them in the house at about 70 degrees and see if I can get germination. This way, we'll have at least two different methods to compare.

These small seeds are like little pieces of gold. I'm rather nervous about trying to germinate them for fear I'll waste them! I've searched and searched and just can't find much at all regarding propagating these plants.

Thank you Jeff and ctnchpr for your generosity and good luck to all.

Mary

I kept the 8 seeds I received in the fridge, resting in a damp coffee filter wrapped inside a damp paper towel and placed in a zip lock baggie.

I took one seed out after a month and tried to germinate it indoors. Nothing so far.

At 5 weeks, I took another seed out and tried to germinate it; nothing so far.

At 6 weeks, I took two more seeds out and tried to germinate them indoors. Nothing so far.

At eight weeks, I took the remaining four seeds out and planted them indoors under the same conditions. Within 7 days, all four seeds are popping up. Two are up but the seed covers have not yet popped off and the other two are still lifting the seed covers out of the soil but all four seeds are germinating. Now to see if I can keep them alive and growing!

All the seeds were planted in ProMix potting soil but with the final 4 seeds, I covered them lightly in damp vermiculite rather than lightly covering them with the potting soil. Doubt that would make a difference but thought I'd pass along exactly what I did.

Based on what I've seen so far, a cold moist treatment of at __least 8 weeks_ might be helpful when attempting to germinate Asclepias variegata seed - AKA Red Ring Milkweed.

Has anyone else had any luck?

Mary

Mary

Becky

Hopefully, these seeds are viable and everyone will have great success. Please come back and let us know how they do. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for my little seedlings. Every time I go into the greenhouse, they're the first ones I check.

Mary

I received 8 seeds in the fall and just winter-sowed them in 2-ltr bottles on February 3rd. 2 bottles with 4 seeds each. Will keep this thread posted on how they germinate.

I've also got 1 small plant from the 2007 seeds, and am wondering how that will do this year after having been completely defoliated by slugs last year.

They are continuing to grow. They now have two sets of true leaves and on two of the seedlings, there is tiny new growth developing along the stalk where the seed leaves are still attached.

The true leaves look a bit like plants do that are in need of iron; veins darker than the interconnecting leaf tissue. I've never grown this plant so I don't know if this is normal for these tiny seedlings at this stage of their development. They were planted in and are growing in individual root trainers containing ProMix Potting Mix and are residing in a cool greenhouse.

Keeping my fingers crossed for everyone's seed germination success this spring.

Mary

My thanks for the information regarding the leaf color. It is reassuring to know this is rather common with these little seedlings. Third set of true leaves have emerged and the seedlings are still standing up straight! :-) So far, so good. Can hardly wait for warmer weather and to be able to plant the seedlings out and watch them grow.

We're still having nights below freezing so haven't seen anything in the way of green growth on the little wild redring transplant (transplant authorized by landowner of commercial property). Daylillies are putting up green growth, eyes of hosta and Lily of the Valley are beginning to show and buds are swelling on a new spirea 'SnowStorm' shrub but that's it so far. Birds are busy digging and singing so it won't be long now til spring begins in our neck of the woods.

Mary

My oldest Asclepias variegata seedlings now have four true leaves. Should I transplant them into a larger pot now? I have them growing in 5 inch root trainers (sides taper down to a small opening at the bottom). I think they're designed to supposedly air prune the roots of the seedlings. I don't know a lot about growing plants from seedlings so really unsure when I should transplant them into something bigger. Do I just leave them be until the weather is warm enough to plant outside?

If they were in the wild, they'd have lots of room to spread their roots so I worry that they need more space to spread out.

Mary

I would leave them until it's warm enough to plant in the ground. Maybe that won't be long. Some of my most robust plants are growing within the drip line of a massive White oak and an almost-massive Sweetgum. You can imagine the competition for root space there. They don't need much.

I Winter-sowed my 8 seeds, nothing yet, but it's still cold.

ctnchpr, my thanks also for the tip on growing location (and for generously sharing these very special little seeds). Ironically, we paid $1500 last spring to have some oaks trunked up to allow for a bit more light for my small garden area. Now I've trying to figure out how to provide some relief from direct sun for my little wild transplant! :-) If nothing else, we can build a little lath house to cover it. Right now my plan is to plant a couple of Asclepias physocarpa seedlings to the south of the wild redring, hoping it's height will provide nice dappled sunlight. That's another plant I'm anxious to watch develop this summer. It will be an annual for me but starting from seed seems to be quite easy, so shouldn't be a problem replanting each year if it does well and the little Monarch beauties like it.

Hopefully, I will choose a better growing spot for my little A. Variegata seedlings!

Mark, best of luck with your wintersown seeds. It's going to be a fun growing season.

Mary

I'm sorry that I've misled you. I only gave that example to show how well they compete for root space. They don't need to be grown in the shade. Several of my plants get 4-5 hours of hot, West Tn midday sun. (Being from Little Rock, I'm sure you know what that feels like!) In fact, the plant that produced last year's only pod gets about 6 hours midday sun. There's also a plant that grows on the bank of Eastbound I-40 in Natchez Trace State Park. It gets sun all day, and is exposed to constant auto and diesel fumes. They're not dainty!

Becky

Congratulations!! I'm so excited for you! The advice given to me was to let them be and don't try to help them.

I'm rather new to growing plants from seed so not much personal experience but I can tell you that it can take a few days for the emerging seed leaves to pop the coverings off, based on my very limited experience with these little seedlings. They will manage, given time.

Mary

Mary

The transplanted A variegata seedlings are still alive and I believe settling in as the two larger seedlings are beginning to put out tiny new leaves at the top.

Also, please DON'T give up on your seeds. The seeds I tried to germinate early without a full 8 weeks of cold statification are now coming up! This gives me 7 seedlings out of the eight seeds I received.

Seed germination is not an exact science, that's for sure. :-)

Mary

Hoping for lots of Milkweed and Monarch butterflies this year! I enjoy collecting the eggs and raising them indoors, but last year it was so cool and rainy in the Northeast, there were very few Monarchs butterflies in the region.

I'm so happy for your success! Doesn't it make you feel good to think you're helping to propagate a milkweed that is on the decline in it's native element. Maybe one day we'll all be in a position to be as generous with seed as ctnchpr has been with us.

My little seedlings continue to hold their own. I'm not certain how much growth they will put on their first year but as long as they're green and standing upright, I'm happy.

My little wild A variegata is budding on a single tall stalk. Looks like two, maybe three little flower buds on the tip top of a stalk that is at least 24, maybe even 30 inches high. It's the oddest looking sight; the few leaves on the stalk appear healthy. So now to watch and hope it blooms and makes a seed pod. There were five other eyes showing at ground level some time back but they're no where to be seen now. I think something crawled up during the night and ate them! In hindsight, I should have placed a collar around the base in early spring, just to give it a chance to produce as many stalks as it could this year. All my little seedlings have collars made out of toilet tissue tubes and so far, so good keeping the creepy crawlies at bay.

I hope you have lots of Monarch babies this spring and summer. I am hand raising some right now and I'll try and send them your way. :-)

Mary

No seed pods here. I had 11 nice sized blooms on my transplanted wild A. variegata and non set seed. My other little plants that were new this year did not produce blooms. It was a terrible summer 'temp wise', with successive days running over 100, so I'm just thankful the new plants managed to survive. There's always next year!

Hope other seed recipients were more successful.

Mary

I just wanted to add that a lot of folks had problems with any of the milkweeds bearing fruit this summer. I had none on my A. physocarpa or my A. curassavica, or my A. incarnata. I think it had to do with our horrible weather, too. Plus, I had so many milkweed leaf beetles and milkweed bugs, I just couldn't keep up with hand picking.

Susan

This is a challenging plant to grow, and my biggest concern for these seedlings is that they aren't going to be hardy in this zone, especially considering their origin in the southeastern US where this species is most abundant. But I've finally figured out this fall where to plant the A. variegata seedlings - at the southeastern corner of the house, adjacent to a little stone wall, sloping with good drainage and partial sun. This location, being close to the house and mostly protected from winter winds, will hopefully create a little microclimate that is a zone or 2 warmer than the rest of the yard.

I'm reporting in regarding the progress of my Asclepias variegata seedlings. All survived last summers hot summer and extreme cold this past winter. They seem to be fairly hardy, once rooted. One I even pinched off this spring, thinking it was a tiny oak seedling that the little squirrels had planted. It came back for a second try and by then, I recognized it. Woo hoo.

So far, three of last years babies look like they're putting on tiny flower buds. My wild A variegata put up four stalks this spring and all have flower buds on them. We've had awfully strong thunderstorms this spring and even a bit of hail, which broke some of the leaves but the plants are still alive. I so want to baby them in some way but am trying to keep my hands off and let them become established and go their own way, as they would have to do in the wild.

I'm so hoping for a seed pod this year and will let everyone know if one magically appears.

How are your A variegata seedlings doing?

Mary

I would like to keep trying to grow this plant, although it may be a lost cause in this zone.

I'm so sorry your little A variegata didn't make it. We had such a hot summer, then an unusually cold winter that I was quite surprised when my little plants came back this spring.

I'm now beginning to watch for signs of a seed pod. Little flying creatures are few and far between around here this spring. Perhaps they were killed off during the extremely cold winter. I think I may try and hand pollinate a few of the blossoms. I tried it last year and had no success. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Mary

It also appears the A. purpurascens didn't come back either! Which is odd, because I have 3 year old purple milkweeds that were growing in the same garden, and are doing great and will probably flower this year for the 1st time.

The 2nd year incarnata, speciosa, and exaltata plants are doing okay.

The Asclepias species are really not that easy to grow, A. variegata seems especially difficult.

Here's the little wild A variegata this spring, more stalks and blooms than last year.

Here's one of the babies, blooming this year. Other blooms didn't mature on two other baby plants that tried to set flowers.

Mary

I wonder how ctnchpr's stand of RR MW did this summer? He lives in an area that also had terrible heat and little if any rain this summer.

Anyone else have any luck?

~Mary

I found your post quite interesting as I read another place this spring about moisture preventing germination of asclepias seeds. I think the information came from Native Plants in Texas. Monarch Watch is making a big effort to grow and make available a lot of different species throughout the US. I noticed that variegata is on their list, but not for my state. So, there is a push to get Asclepias planted throughout the Monarch migration flyway.

I have variegata seeds in moist sand in the fridge. I'm hoping these seeds germinate this spring. I also read that the seeds should not be handled but you should wear gloves. And conditions should be kept absolutely sterile. I have stratified a number of species this spring using the damp sand method. However, some species did not germinate at all. I wondered about the source. But, it may be my methods. So, in the future I will try some new ways, including your way of just using cold.

Hope to see someone posting that they get seed pods this summer. I have two variegata plants that have survived the gophers (they ate at least 6 plants). These should flower, and I will do some hand pollination. I hand pollinated a Purple MW two years ago and got an abundance of seed pods. I left the flowers alone last year and had no pods at all. I totally agree that asclepias is a challenging species to grow. Only the Phycocarpus and the curassavica grow easily for me, and these aren't natives and are annuals in my area. I currently have seedlings of pumila, ovafolia, common, Davis, speciosa, viridis, Sullivan's and others. My first batch of Purple did not germinate; but the seeds did not look good (bought them from the same online source as the other seeds that didn't germinate). The last seeds came from Prairie Moon Nursery. I always get good seed germination from their seeds. So, hopefully, I will get some new Purple plants. Purpurascens and variegata are my absolute favorites.

Good luck to all of you who are trying to get this plant growing and seeding. And, thanks for sharing your experiences which help all of us in our endeavors.

Sandy