Milkweed can be propagated from seeds, rhizomes, or cuttings.
From seeds
Cold wet stratification Soak seeds in a paper towel or coffee filter, then place in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for one to two months. This simulates the natural break of dormancy that occurs in the winter.
Sow directly in fall Sow seeds directly into a mulched bed in the fall, and they will germinate the following spring.
From rhizomes
Collect in late fall or early spring: Collect rhizomes when the buds are dormant and the rhizomes have stored energy.
Replant in raised beds or containers: Trim off dead shoots and replant in a well-drained growing medium.
Provide moist conditions: Sprouts will form when the weather warms and the rhizomes are moist.
From cuttings
Take cuttings in mid-summer: Cut green stems that are about four inches long and have three to five leaf nodes.
Remove lower leaves: Keep the top two pairs of leaves on each stem.
Apply rooting hormone: Coat the bottom of the stems with a rooting hormone.
Place in moist potting medium: Place the stems in a mix of perlite and peat moss, and keep the soil moist.
Transplant in 6–10 weeks: When roots have formed, transplant the cuttings into the ground.
Milkweed is a perennial that provides food and habitat for Monarch butterflies.