Is my milkweed dead?

[TypingMonkey]

How can I tell if my milkweed plants are dead or not?

I recently cut some of the stems and I noticed they are very woody and that there is a hallow hole inside that seems to run the entire length of the stem. The roots seems like they are still pliable and are not woody or hard, but the stems definitely are. I don't notice any green on the stems anywhere only maybe darker shade of brown near the bottom.

I didn't notice any leaves coming off the ground either but at the same time the ground was covered in grass so I had to pull out the milkweeds so I could take out the grass before I put them back in.

Is it normal for milkweed to die during winter? I live in Houston. If my plants are dead, how can I keep them alive during the winter?

[Mona Miller]

Herbaceous plants (perennials) die back in areas that get cold. The top dies back. In the spring, they will regrow from the roots. Annuals can also regrow, but not if they are hit with too much cold.

What type of milkweed do you have?

[TypingMonkey]

They're Mexican Butterfly Weed, or Asclepias curassavica. I live in Houston so the cold just ended and it's starting to get warm. How often should I water them? Should I add some type of fertilizer? And how long before I start to see some new growth?

[Mona Miller]

Those are annual milkweeds. They may come back or not depending on how cold it got in your area. I usually water once or twice a week depending on how much it rains.

Try a time released fertilizer like Osmocote:
http://www.scotts.com/smg/brand/osmocot ... anding.jsp

If you want to be more organic, put some compost around your plants, but not over the stem area.

[Paul Cherubini]

If the roots and stems are still alive, new leaf buds should start to grow in the next 30-45 days.

The only way to be sure the plants survive the winter is to protect them from subfreezing temperatures. Covering the plants with a bed sheet or a large inverted cardboard box is sufficient when overnight temps are in the high 20's.

[sbannister]

These are perennial in my area - S. LA and I keep the roots well muched in winter. One bed had more exposure and all the stems were brown, as you described yours, Typing Monkey, but they are starting to grow from the bottom now. So be patient. Give them more time and I think you will be surprised.

[TypingMonkey]

Thanks for the help guys. I just noticed some new milkweed leaves sprouting from the root, in all my milkweed plants that had turned brown and hallow except one. I guess I shouldn't be surprised it never really got cold here in Houston the lowest I think was in the 40s. Glad I don't have to buy all new milkweeds though

[crazymilkweedman]

also you might want to find a better way to weed them, pulling them up and replanting is not good if you are in a hurry to have plants. When you do that you pull off many roots some so small you cant see and if disturbed enough some buds will stop growing. So the first thing the MW will do is regrow those roots and then buds and so you really slow down the grow cycle.