Which Prairie Milkweed is the Best HOST Plant❓🌿🐛

Good Thursday Royal RAISEr,

it’s been a frigid spring (so far) in Minnesota, but a string of spring-like 60’s are just around the corner…I hope you’re seeing hopeful signs of spring in your region too! 🌷 

Today, I’m here to talk about two central native milkweeds we don’t have a lot of experience growing, but should hopefully have more info to share this season…

But first, our spring migration sale continues through Sunday…

Are you ready to host garden monarchs this season? Our Annual Spring Migration Sale starts now to make sure you will be!

For raisers, this includes ALL raising supplies for raising healthy butterflies 🌿🐛 

Don't miss out on our best prices of the season:

1. ALL Caterpillar Cages, Cage Liners, Floral Tubes/Racks, and garden flags are 15% OFF (automatically applied to your order)

Bundle 1 Butterfly eBook (Milkweed Quickstart or Raising Guide) with 1 Cage/raising accessory or Garden Flag for an additional 15% OFF those two items (automatically applied to your order)

OR check out our discount for large orders for schools, entomology or lepidoptera dept., gardening groups, neighborhoods, etc:

2. Our ongoing educators' discount: receive 25% OFF your entire shop order $225+ and up (use discount code Educ825)

3. All US mainland orders $50+ Ship Free

4. All Hawaii orders $75+ Ship Free

Click the link below to order from our shop:

Monarch Butterfly Life- Raising Butterflies Supplies ⬅️

Our spring migration sales goes through Sunday April 13th

Milkweed Madness 2025 Continues

These two central US natives, which are sometimes both referred to as prairie milkweed are two more options to consider for your butterfly garden:

Asclepias Sullivantii ⬅️ We’ve had more experience growing this, but it has had more fungus issues in our Minnesota garden. We will be spraying returning shoots and surrounding soil with a hydrogen peroxide mix this spring to prevent disease issues ⬅️ this season. This was a preferred host plant for monarch eggs in our previous garden, but we’ll keep you up to date with 2025 activity in our new garden.

Asclepias Hirtella ⬅️ We had issues with rabbits eating seedlings in our old garden and last year they got to it before the new fencing was up. I’m hopeful we will have some returning this spring and I’ll post updates throughout the season…if it survived 🤞 

Coming Up Next?

Companion plant ideas for your milkweed 🌿🌻🤔

Have a butterful week 🦋

Tony G