Butterfly Milkweed Vernalization

The purpose of this experiment is to test different methods to encourage germination of Butterfly weed to aid monarch butterfly populations. The issue at hand is the vernalization process of milkweed and what it requires to germinate. We tested two possible methods to encourage germination: cold stratification & scarification of Asclepias tuberosa. From this experiment, the researchers learned that the cold stratification worked best as those were the only seeds to germinate. The results did not indicate whether the scarification or the substrate is the variable behind the non-germination. Another test is needed to conclude which method was ineffective, or possibly effective under different circumstances. This research implies that cold stratification in a moist, low-density substrate is effective in encouraging butterfly weed to germinate.