Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

Milkweeds are the center of butterfly gardens and Whorled Milkweed is one of those.  It is a perennial (in warmer soils) that is native to other regions in the United States but an grow well in Arizona. It thrives in disturbed areas and can tolerate hard drought with supplemental irrigation as needed. The white flowers and green foliage are pretty without being overly dramatic. 

Milkweeds are specific hosts to the monarch butterfly but also support other insects and pollinators such as bees.  If planting Milkweed to support monarch's, plan to create a group of plantings - USDA Plants Guide describes it well...."This is the only type of plant on which the eggs are laid and the larvae will feed and mature into a chrysalis. Eggs are laid on the underside of young healthy leaves. It is important to have large clumps of milkweeds for the young caterpillars; their response to predation is to drop to the ground and "play possum." They cannot find their way back to the milkweed stems, which they need to survive, unless they are fairly densely spaced."

Germination of milkweed can be tricky.  Some seeds germinate without stratification and others require a 20 to 30 cold moist germination treatment before planting.

This plant is not ok for livestock to eat.  Do not plant in areas where grazing animals can access it.

0.1 gram (~30 seeds).