Product Description: Asclepias cordifolia Seeds — Heart-Leaf Milkweed, Monarch’s Desert Jewel
Awaken your garden with a symbol of wild grace and monarch spurs. Heart-Leaf Milkweed emerges as a native Western treasure, its heart-shaped foliage and dusky purple cup blooms whispering stories of desert slopes, resilient roots, and winged passage.
Bloom & Foliage
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Flower Color & Form: Atop slender stems, clusters of deep red-purple blossoms bloom in early summer. Their crown-like hoods float atop star-shaped purple petals, drawing the eye like desert gems in bloom.
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Leaves: The plant wears large, cordate (heart-shaped) leaves that might remind you of forest shadows or the quiet pulse of nature’s heart.
Hardiness & Growth Conditions
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USDA Hardiness Zones: Thrives in Zones 7a–10b—comfortable in dry hillsides, rocky landscapes, and sunlit clearings.
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Growth Habit: A hardy perennial that reaches 1–3 feet tall, anchored by a strong tap root—perfect for rugged, drought-tolerant gardens.
Wildlife & Butterfly Connection
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Monarch Magic: This milkweed is a critical host for monarch caterpillars, empowering them to complete their life cycle and accumulate their famed defensive toxins.
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Pollinator Haven: Though not famed for fragrance, its blossoms offer rich nectar to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, making your garden a living, buzzing theater.
Cultural & Ecological Heritage
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Tribal Utility: Indigenous Miwok communities historically dried its stems and extracted inner fibers by hand—crafting string, rope, and twine rooted in ancestral knowledge.
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Mountain-Born Resilience: Native to the rocky forest edges and chaparral of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade foothills, this plant carries sagebrush resilience and floral elegance.
Why These Seeds Belong in Your Garden
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Desert Sophistication: Heart-shaped leaves and rich purple blooms elevate rock gardens or pollinator borders with serene elegance.
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Pollinator & Monarch Ally: Offer monarchs their only larval food—it’s conservation, planted by hand.
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Cultural Touchstone: Each stem holds stories of indigenous craftsmanship and regional heritage.
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Easy, Ecologically Kind Growth: Hardy, drought-resistant, and non-invasive—a sustainable nod to native landscapes.
Plant Asclepias cordifolia seeds and grow not just a plant—but a living link between heritage, habitat, and wings.