Milkweed Seed Bombs

Description

Help to save monarch butterflies and pollinators by planting native milkweed. Milkweed leaves are the sole food source for monarch caterpillars, while its flowers feed several species of endangered wild pollinators with their abundant nectar.

Plant milkweed easily

Our milkweed seed bombs are already cold stratified and wrapped in enriched potting soil, clay and compost.

In order to be planted in the spring, milkweed, like most native northern plants, must undergo a cold treatment of at least 30 days under certain conditions (temperature, moisture, etc.). Good news, we've already done that for you!

This treatment mimics the winter conditions that seeds are exposed to and helps deactivate the chemical and physical barriers that prevent sprouting. These protections are a natural adaptation of milkweed seeds and other northern plants, which prevents them from germinating prematurely during a fall or winter thaw followed by a frost. Without cold stratification, germination rates can be very low (3-4%). The clay and potting soil envelope of our seed bombs will allow the seeds to germinate without being eaten by birds or rodents.

Botanical information

Butterfly milkweed

• Other names: Butterfly bush, butterfly weed, Canada root, chieger flower, chiggerflower, fluxroot, Indian paintbrush, Indian posy, orange milkweed, orange root, orange Swallow-wort, pleurisy root, silky swallow-wort, tuber root, yellow milkweed, white-root, windroot, butterfly love, butterflyweed,
  
• Latin names : Asclepias tuberosa
• Type of plant: Perennial
• Height: 20-50 inches
• Diameter: 6-12 inches

Swamp milkweed

• Other names: Rose milkweed, rose milkflower, pink milkweed, white indian hemp
  
• Latin name : Asclepias incarnata
• Type of plant: Perennial
• Height: 20-50 inches
• Diameter: 6-12 inches

Common milkweed

• Other names: Silky milkweed, silkweed, silky swallow-wort, Virginia silkweed, North American silk plant.
  
• Latin name : Asclepias syriaca
• Type of plant: Perennial
• Height: 20-50 inches
• Diameter: 6-12 inches

Showy milkweed

• Other names: Showy butterfly weed, creek milkweed, Greek milkweed
  
• Only native in British Columbia, Alberta and the western parts of Saskatchewan
• Latin names : Asclepias speciosa
• Type of plant: Perennial
• Height: 20-50 inches
• Diameter: 6-12 inches

Tropical milkweed

• Common names: Tropical milkweed, Mexican butterfly weed, Mexican milkweed, Scarlet milkweed, Bloodflower, Swallow-wort, Tropical Silkweed
  
• Latin names : Asclepias curassavica
• Type of plant: Annual in Canada (below zone 9)
• Height: 20-50 inches
• Diameter: 6-12 inches

Content

• 1 bomb = One 3/4" x 4" stick, splittable into 4 cells each containing seeds. This allows to cover up to 4 square feet per stick.

• Approximately 8-12 stratified seeds per stick

Additional information

• Sowing: In May, June or July, drop the seed bomb on the ground and cover lightly with soil.
  
  
• Cold stratification is not necessary, since the seed bombs will have already undergone the cold treatment upon receipt.