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        • Aquatic milkweed, Asclepias perennis
        • Arizona milkweed, Asclepias angustifolia
        • Bear mountain milkweed, Asclepias scaposa
        • Bract milkweed, Asclepias brachystephana
        • Broadleaf milkweed, Asclepias latifolia
        • Butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa
        • California milkweed, Asclepias californica
        • Carolina milkweed, Asclepias cinerea
        • Clasping milkweed, Asclepias amplexicaulis
        • Common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca
        • Curtiss' milkweed, Asclepias curtissii
        • Cutler's milkweed, Asclepias cutleri
        • Desert milkweed, Asclepias erosa
        • Dwarf milkweed, Asclepias involucrata
        • Emory's milkweed, Asclepias emoryi
        • Engelmann's milkweed, Asclepias engelmanniana
        • Fewflower milkweed, Asclepias lanceolata
        • Florida milkweed, Asclepias feayi
        • Fourleaf milkweed, Asclepias quadrifolia
        • Green antelopehorn, Asclepias viridis
        • Green Comet milkweed, Asclepias viridiflora
        • Greene's milkweed, Asclepias californica ssp. greenei
        • Hall's milkweed, Asclepias hallii
        • Heartleaf milkweed, Asclepias cordifolia
        • Horsetail milkweed, Asclepias subverticillata
        • Jewel milkweed, Asclepias cryptoceras
        • Largeflower milkweed, Asclepias connivens
        • Lemmon's milkweed, Asclepias lemmonii
        • Longhood milkweed, Asclepias macrotis
        • Longleaf milkweed, Asclepias longifolia
        • Mahogany milkweed, Asclepias hypoleuca
        • Mead's milkweed, Asclepias meadii
        • Mexican whorled milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis
        • Michaux's milkweed, Asclepias michauxii
        • Mojave milkweed, Asclepias nyctaginifolia
        • Nodding milkweed, Asclepias glaucescens
        • Oval-leaf milkweed, Asclepias ovalifolia
        • Parish's woolly milkweed, Asclepias vestita
        • Pineland milkweed, Asclepias obovata
        • Pineneedle milkweed, Asclepias linaria
        • Pinewoods milkweed, Asclepias humistrata
        • Plains milkweed, Asclepias pumila
        • Poke milkweed, Asclepias exaltata
        • Prairie milkweed, Asclepias sullivantii
        • Prostrate milkweed, Asclepias prostrata
        • Purple milkweed, Asclepias purpurascens
        • Red milkweed, Asclepias rubra
        • Redring milkweed, Asclepias variegata
        • Rusby's milkweed, Asclepias rusbyi
        • Rush milkweed, Asclepias subulata
        • Ruth's milkweed, Asclepias uncialis
        • Sand milkweed, Asclepias arenaria
        • Savannah milkweed, Asclepias pedicellata
        • Serpentine milkweed, Asclepias solanoana
        • Showy milkweed, Asclepias speciosa
        • Sidecluster milkweed, Asclepias lanuginosa
        • Slim milkweed, Asclepias linearis
        • Slimleaf milkweed, Asclepias stenophylla
        • Slimpod milkweed, Asclepias quinquedentata
        • Southern milkweed, Asclepias viridula
        • Sperry's milkweed, Asclepias sperryi
        • Spider milkweed, Asclepias asperula
        • Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata
        • Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata ssp. pulchra
        • Tall green milkweed, Asclepias hirtella
        • Texas milkweed, Asclepias texana
        • Tuba milkweed, Asclepias tomentosa
        • Tufted milkweed, Asclepias nummularia
        • Utah milkweed, Asclepias labriformis
        • Welsh's milkweed, Asclepias welshii
        • Wheel milkweed, Asclepias uncialis
        • Whitestem milkweed, Asclepias albicans
        • Whorled milkweed, Asclepias verticillata
        • Woolly milkweed, Asclepias vestita
        • Woollypod milkweed, Asclepias eriocarpa
        • Zizotes milkweed, Asclepias oenotheroides
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  • Home
    • FAQ
    • About
    • Contact
    • Why Grow Milkweed Plants
  • Store
    • Ready to Ship
    • Free Milkweed Seed
  • Milkweed
    • Milkweed Plants >
      • Milkweed >
        • Aquatic milkweed, Asclepias perennis
        • Arizona milkweed, Asclepias angustifolia
        • Bear mountain milkweed, Asclepias scaposa
        • Bract milkweed, Asclepias brachystephana
        • Broadleaf milkweed, Asclepias latifolia
        • Butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa
        • California milkweed, Asclepias californica
        • Carolina milkweed, Asclepias cinerea
        • Clasping milkweed, Asclepias amplexicaulis
        • Common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca
        • Curtiss' milkweed, Asclepias curtissii
        • Cutler's milkweed, Asclepias cutleri
        • Desert milkweed, Asclepias erosa
        • Dwarf milkweed, Asclepias involucrata
        • Emory's milkweed, Asclepias emoryi
        • Engelmann's milkweed, Asclepias engelmanniana
        • Fewflower milkweed, Asclepias lanceolata
        • Florida milkweed, Asclepias feayi
        • Fourleaf milkweed, Asclepias quadrifolia
        • Green antelopehorn, Asclepias viridis
        • Green Comet milkweed, Asclepias viridiflora
        • Greene's milkweed, Asclepias californica ssp. greenei
        • Hall's milkweed, Asclepias hallii
        • Heartleaf milkweed, Asclepias cordifolia
        • Horsetail milkweed, Asclepias subverticillata
        • Jewel milkweed, Asclepias cryptoceras
        • Largeflower milkweed, Asclepias connivens
        • Lemmon's milkweed, Asclepias lemmonii
        • Longhood milkweed, Asclepias macrotis
        • Longleaf milkweed, Asclepias longifolia
        • Mahogany milkweed, Asclepias hypoleuca
        • Mead's milkweed, Asclepias meadii
        • Mexican whorled milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis
        • Michaux's milkweed, Asclepias michauxii
        • Mojave milkweed, Asclepias nyctaginifolia
        • Nodding milkweed, Asclepias glaucescens
        • Oval-leaf milkweed, Asclepias ovalifolia
        • Parish's woolly milkweed, Asclepias vestita
        • Pineland milkweed, Asclepias obovata
        • Pineneedle milkweed, Asclepias linaria
        • Pinewoods milkweed, Asclepias humistrata
        • Plains milkweed, Asclepias pumila
        • Poke milkweed, Asclepias exaltata
        • Prairie milkweed, Asclepias sullivantii
        • Prostrate milkweed, Asclepias prostrata
        • Purple milkweed, Asclepias purpurascens
        • Red milkweed, Asclepias rubra
        • Redring milkweed, Asclepias variegata
        • Rusby's milkweed, Asclepias rusbyi
        • Rush milkweed, Asclepias subulata
        • Ruth's milkweed, Asclepias uncialis
        • Sand milkweed, Asclepias arenaria
        • Savannah milkweed, Asclepias pedicellata
        • Serpentine milkweed, Asclepias solanoana
        • Showy milkweed, Asclepias speciosa
        • Sidecluster milkweed, Asclepias lanuginosa
        • Slim milkweed, Asclepias linearis
        • Slimleaf milkweed, Asclepias stenophylla
        • Slimpod milkweed, Asclepias quinquedentata
        • Southern milkweed, Asclepias viridula
        • Sperry's milkweed, Asclepias sperryi
        • Spider milkweed, Asclepias asperula
        • Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata
        • Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata ssp. pulchra
        • Tall green milkweed, Asclepias hirtella
        • Texas milkweed, Asclepias texana
        • Tuba milkweed, Asclepias tomentosa
        • Tufted milkweed, Asclepias nummularia
        • Utah milkweed, Asclepias labriformis
        • Welsh's milkweed, Asclepias welshii
        • Wheel milkweed, Asclepias uncialis
        • Whitestem milkweed, Asclepias albicans
        • Whorled milkweed, Asclepias verticillata
        • Woolly milkweed, Asclepias vestita
        • Woollypod milkweed, Asclepias eriocarpa
        • Zizotes milkweed, Asclepias oenotheroides
  • Map
    • Canada >
      • Alberta
      • Saskatchewan
      • British Columbia
      • Manitoba
      • Ontario
      • Québec
      • New Brunswick
      • Nova Scotia
      • Prince Edward Island
      • Newfoundland & Labrador
      • Nunavut
      • Yukon Territory
      • Northwest Territories
    • USA >
      • Alabama
      • Alaska
      • Arizona
      • Arkansas
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Connecticut
      • Delaware
      • District of Columbia
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maine
      • Maryland
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Mississippi
      • Missouri
      • Montana
      • Nebraska
      • Nevada
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • Rhode Island
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Vermont
      • Virginia
      • Washington
      • West Virginia
      • Wisconsin
      • Wyoming
    • Mexico >
      • Baja California
      • Baja California Sur
      • Sonora
      • Sinaloa
      • Chihuahua
      • Durango
      • Coahuila
      • Nuevo León
      • San Luis Potosí
      • Tamaulipas
  • Podcast
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Milkweed & Monarch Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I tell a male and female monarch apart?
A. Male monarchs will have thinner black markings and two black marks on the hind wings. Female monarchs have thicker black markings and do not have the two black dots that males have. 

Q. How do I tell the gender of a monarch chrysalis?
A. A monarch chrysalis has a very tiny line near the top set of three dots. The tiny line is not present on a male monarch chrysalis. See the page RAISING A MONARCH FROM CATERPILLAR TO BUTTERFLY for an example.

Q. How do I tell the gender of a monarch caterpillar?
​A. Before metamorphasis there is no way to determine the gender of a monarch caterpillar.


Q. How long does a monarch wait to fly after emerging from a chrysalis?
A. a monarch may wait about four to six hours for its wings to dry before it begins its first flight. But it could be shorter or longer depending on the butterfly. 

Q. How long till a newly emerged monarch butterfly will begin eating?
A. The monarch will not eat immediately because the feeding tube of a monarch starts in two pieces. In the first few hours the two parts of the feeding tube will become one. The monarch should feed in the first 24 hours. It may be best to release your monarch on a flower and let the monarch decide when it is ready to eat. 

Q. Is my newly emerged monarch healthy?
A. New monarchs should have symmetrical wings. A crinkled wing is common but not ideal. The white markings on the black abdomen should be clearly defined. If the white markings look faded or they white appears very powdery then the monarch may have health problems. 

Q. Is my milkweed dying?
A. It depends on the time of year, the milkweed species and your location. Native milkweed in northern states will begin to go dormant in the Fall. It is not dying. Perennial milkweed will begin growing again in the Spring as warm weather returns. The plants growth should correspond to the migration of the monarchs. 

Q. When is the best time to plant milkweed seeds?
A. In my experience, Fall is ideal. Allow the seeds to remain in their planter or in the ground all winter. I like to plant the seeds Thanksgiving weekend. They will be cold stratified and begin growing in the spring when conditions are favorable. 

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