Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Whorled Milkweed bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called whorled milkweed, eastern whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata).

More about whorled milkweed

About Whorled Milkweed

Asclepias verticillata · also called whorled milkweed, eastern whorled milkweed · flowering

A fine-textured North American native milkweed with thread-like leaves arranged in whorls and small clusters of greenish-white flowers that bloom late, extending the nectar season for monarchs and bees. It thrives in dry, lean, sunny ground and spreads by rhizomes. As an Asclepias it has milky sap and is toxic to cats, dogs and horses.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aphids (oleander aphids): Yellow-orange aphids gather on stems and buds. Hose them off and avoid broad insecticides that harm monarch caterpillars.

The reasons whorled milkweed isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming whorled milkweed traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding whorled milkweed a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get whorled milkweed to flower

Maximise sun. Give whorled milkweed the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for whorled milkweed and get the feeding right with the whorled milkweed fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Whorled Milkweed flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full whorled milkweed care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Whorled Milkweed blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my whorled milkweed flower?

Whorled Milkweed blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make whorled milkweed bloom?

Give whorled milkweed the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does whorled milkweed normally bloom?