Silky Deep Red Butterfly Weed (Asclepias curassavica 'Silky Deep Red')
ah-SKLEE-pee-us kur-ah-SAV-ih-kah 'Silky Deep Red'

Evergreen Perennial (usually grown as an annual near you) Upright in the Apocynaceae Family

'Silky Deep Red' is a Proven Winners selection of Tropical Milkweed, prized for deep red flower clusters with bright yellow hoods that keep coming from early summer right up until frost. It's a tender tropical species, not a Midwest native, and in Chicago's climate it's grown strictly as a frost-tender annual — it will not survive an outdoor winter here. Its long bloom season and rich color make it a favorite for containers and fresh cut flowers, and it's a genuine Monarch host plant, but its non-dormant, evergreen habit in warm climates has raised real concerns among butterfly conservationists (see Cons).

Pros

  • One of the prettier milkweeds
  • Can continue blooming right up until freeze

Cons

  • Not an Illinois native milkweed
  • Evergreen/non-dormant habit in warm climates has been linked to lower Monarch migration success and year-round buildup of the OE parasite
  • In Chicago's climate, it's grown strictly as a frost-tender annual -- it won't survive winter outdoors
This plant is probably not winter-hardy outdoors where you live.
Highlights

A long-blooming Proven Winners tropical milkweed with rich red-and-yellow flowers that keep coming through frost -- best treated as a warm-season annual here in Chicago, and best considered alongside its native cousins rather than as a replacement for them.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 36 inches tall. 18 - 24 inches wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium: Prefers medium to medium-wet conditions; doesn't tolerate drought as well as most other milkweeds in this genus.
Zones 8a - 11b (Usually hardy to 10° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Deer Resistant, Dry, Erosion Control, Evergreen, Fragrant Flowers, Full Sun, Good for Borders, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Good for Rocky Soil, Low Maintenance, Medium, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Perennial, Potentially Toxic, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Shallow Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period June to October
Flower Color Red with Yellow
Foliage Color Green
 

In The News
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Lantana, Zinnia, Salvia, Pentas, and other heat-loving annuals that share its full-sun, warm-season container or bedding role.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 02/05 - 08/09

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!