Flower Specifications
- Season: Perennial
- USDA Zones: 8 - 11
- Height: 24 - 32 inches
- Bloom Season: Summer and fall
- Bloom Color: Red
- Environment: Full sun
- Soil Type: Moist, well-drained, pH 6.1 - 7.5
- Deer Resistant: Yes
Planting Directions
- Temperature: 60F
- Average Germ Time: 14 - 28 days
- Light Required: No
- Depth: Do not cover
- Sowing Rate: 5 ounces per 1,000 square feet or 2 - 4 seeds per plant
- Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
- Plant Spacing: 24 inches
- Care & Maintenance: See: Butterfly Weed
Bloodflower or Mexican Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Curassavica) - Butterflies love this plant! This flower seed produces the best milkweed species for the home garden. It attracts Monarch Butterflies by mid-summer and provides food for their larvae. Indians had used this species of butterfly weed to induce vomiting and expel worms. More research is needed in this area.
Sow Asclepias curassavica flower seed early in the spring. Transplant seedlings outdoors after danger of frost has passed. Mexican Butterfly Weed requires a sunny spot in moist, fertile soil. Blood-flower is not as drought tolerant as other species of milkweeds. Keep the plants uniformly moist, but not saturated. Pinch the tops of the plants to induce a bushy habit and provide more flowering branches. Mexican Butterfly Weed can be grown as an annual in cooler climates. Sow flowers seeds indoors and transplant outdoors. Mexican Butterfly Weed will bloom until fall frosts.
