I almost did not order the floral tubes; thought I could use something I already had at home. But, I decided to order the tubes and I'm glad I did; they make it so easy to place milkweed cuttings inside the butterfly screen cage. You can push the tubes into soil (as in the soil of a potted plant), or just prop them up in a small container (like an old coffee cup). Water does not evaporate quickly. I'm hoping that some of these clippings will produce roots while in the floral tube so I can start another milkweed plant once the caterpillars are finished eating.