| SUN | SOIL MOISTURE | HEIGHT |
|---|---|---|
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|
3' |
| BLOOM | USDA ZONES | BLOOM COLOR |
|---|---|---|
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Texas Milkweed is native only to Texas. We’re not sure how it knows to remain within the state boundaries but apparently it has never wandered out on its own. A fair question at this point might be “why would you grow this plant in Ohio?” The answer: our goal is to have as many milkweed species as possible in order to feed Monarch caterpillars. Wherever you live in the United States we have milkweeds native to your state.
Texas Milkweed was potted up as part of an experiment we ran last year, and it sized up really well. We planted it a 15G pot that received half day sun in the morning and afternoon shade, and we watered it occasionally. To our friends to the north of central Ohio (Zones 5 and below) this plant is still worth growing. You could plant it in the ground and mulch it heavily in the fall and/or collect seeds and grow your own the following year. Or you could plant it in a large pot and grow it on your patio all summer like we did. The Monarch’s will come and go and before long you’ll see their caterpillars completing their life cycle right before your eyes while you’re out back sipping lemonade. Don’t forget to show the kids and/or grandkids! In the fall move the pot into your garage or an unheated building to protect it from winters worst then move it out again in the spring. There’s a very good chance this plant will reward you with another season of flowers, butterflies and caterpillars. This is a beautiful species! One worth growing not only for its overall good looks but also for the nectar and pollen it provides all native pollinators.
| Unreported | |
 | Unreported (Absent for area) |
| Native | |
 | Native in state (NA Native and Present in state, but not Present in county) |
 | Native in state and Present in county (NA Native and Present in state, and Present in county) |
 | Rare in state and Present in county (NA Native and Rare in state, and Present in county) |
 | Extirpated/Historic in state/Native (NA Native and Reported in county) |
 | Adventive or Introduced state (NA Native and Adventive in state, and Present in county) |
| Exotic Occurrences | |
 | Exotic in state (Exotic and Present in state, but not Present in county) |
 | Exotic in state and Present in county (Exotic and Present in state, and Present in county) |
| Other | |
 | Noxious in state (Noxious in state, and Present in county) |
 | Questionable Presence (cross-hatched) |
For us, Texas Milkweed grew to three feet its first year, flowered profusely and produces dozens of slim seedpots held upright on the stem. The stems themselves were strong; almost woody and were lined with pointed leaves. The whole effect was that of a short shrub. Seed pods were held upright and did not open until relatively late in the season. If you collect your own seed, then you might want to protect it from early frost so that the pods have enough time to mature fully.
Please note that Riverside Native Perennials (RNP) only ships our potted “35” product via USPS. We generally can have your plants boxed up and ready to go within two or three days. All other products including our flat of plugs, 1-gallon and 3-gallon containers are only available for nursery pick up in Delaware, OH. For large orders of any of our products we can arrange shipping at an extra cost. Please contact the nursery for additional information.
It’s important to note that when we send plants to you, presentation is everything! We recognize that you’re expecting healthy plants to arrive safely on your doorstep ready to be planted and that is what we’re selling. Further, we want you to know that while we are a fully licensed and inspected perennial nursery in the state of Ohio…we are in Ohio! That means we are subject to Ohio weather. The average frost-free date for our area is May 15. So even though you may live in Florida or California your plants are growing under Ohio conditions and we do not heat our greenhouses due to the expense. Our plants may be slightly delayed but again it’s because we’re in a Zone 5 area. Because we ship nationwide, we ship plants at all times of the year. If it’s winter in Ohio, you’ll be getting dormant plants. If it’s spring or summer in Ohio, you’ll be getting plants of various sizes that are actively growing. Plants shipped during fall in Ohio may be dormant or may be heading towards dormancy. This is all natural and we do not try to modify or prolong the growing season other than to grow them in an unheated greenhouse. Even in an unheated greenhouse our plants are much further along and growing well early in the spring than if they were planted outside in Zone 5. If you would like additional information about sizes for a particular species, please contact us via email.
In 2021 RNP partnered with a shipping professional to design and develop a shipping system that could reasonably be expected to survive the USPS mail room and transportation process. After several design sessions and going back to the drawing board on more than a couple of occasions we created a shipping box system that, to us, is bulletproof. It is strong, lightweight and, to date, has not failed in shipping nearly 150 packages of plants to all corners of the country.
Once selected from our greenhouse benches, your plants are placed into a small plastic bag to maintain moisture during shipping. To keep the soil in the pot we created a cardboard insert that perfectly fits into the top of our 35 containers. The insert has a cutout that surrounds to plant stem without damaging it. The plastic bag and insert are secured by two rubber bands. Each bagged plant is then placed into an individual corrugated cardboard box which perfectly fits the 35 container, and which locks it in place so that it will not move during transit. Four individual boxes are then placed into another, even heavier duty corrugated cardboard master shipping box. The whole effect is that of double boxing your plants. They are safe and secure for the long trip to your home landscape!
The system only works with 4 individual boxes being packed into a single master shipping box so we encourage you to buy four plants or a multiple of four plants. You can buy less than four plants but we will need to send all the cardboard for four plants in order for the shipping system to succeed as designed.
