Asclepias Butterfly Weed

Asclepias Butterfly Weed

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The Perennial Plant of the Year 2017
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Item Form
Bareroot
Key Characteristics
Zone
3 - 9
Mature Height in Inches
24 IN
Mature Width in Inches
3 Feet
Sun / Shade
Full Sun
Moisture Level
Dry, Moist, well-drained
Soil Type
Normal, loamy, Clay, Sandy, Poor

Description / Asclepias Butterfly Weed

Asclepias Butterfly Weed, honored as the Perennial Plant of the Year 2017, offers a spectacular addition to any garden. This exceptional herbaceous perennial captivates with big, vivid orange flowerheads that become a hub of activity for monarch butterflies and other pollinators in midsummer. The plant not only enchants with its blooms but also serves a dual purpose in the garden as both a nectar source for adult butterflies and a host plant for their eggs, fostering a new generation of these majestic creatures.

With its striking foliage, the Asclepias Butterfly Weed continues to dazzle even after its blooming period, bringing lasting beauty to any outdoor space. This resilient plant thrives under full sun, demonstrating remarkable tolerance to heat and drought conditions, ensuring its survival and dependable return each year. It achieves a mature height of about two feet and spreads up to three feet, perfect for planting 12 to 15 inches apart in sunny spots with well-drained soil. Gardeners are advised to plant its crown two to four inches deep, ensuring its flourishing growth.

A member of the dogbane family, Asclepias is known for its unique seed pods, tuberous roots, and distinctive milky sap that courses through its veins, historically known as pleurisy root due to its medicinal properties. This plant's resilience is further highlighted by its late emergence from dormancy in spring, a characteristic that demands patience but rewards with beauty and vitality. Established plants feature extensive taproots, emphasizing the importance of minimal disturbance for thriving growth.

Caring for the Butterfly Weed Asclepias is straightforward, with a preference for dry soil and minimal maintenance requirements. While new plants may benefit from a protective winter mulch, they generally require no special attention, allowing gardeners to enjoy the dynamic spectacle of monarch butterflies amid the plant's orange blossoms throughout the season.

Sap may cause skin irritation.

Product Details

SKU 27172
Item Form Bareroot
Genus Asclepias
Species tuberosa
Product Classification Perennials, Plants
Habit Upright
USDA Zone Low 3
USDA Zone High 9
Sun / Shade Full Sun
Moisture Level Dry, Moist, well-drained
Soil Type Normal, loamy, Clay, Sandy, Poor
Bloom Color Orange
Max Bloom Size 4.00
Bloom Season Start Mid Summer
Bloom Season End Late Summer
Foliage Color Medium Green
Mature Width in Inches 36.00
Mature Height in Inches 24.00
Resistance Cold Hardy, Disease Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Heat Tolerant, Humidity Tolerant, Pest Resistant
Special Features Bird Lovers, Bloom First Year, Butterfly Lovers, Easy Care Plants, Flower, Free Bloomer, Hummingbird Lovers, Long Bloomers, Repeat Bloomer
Uses Border, Cut Flowers, Everlastings, Outdoor
Zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
State Shipping Restrictions GU, PR, VI
Shipping Method Restrictions none

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Top customer reviews

  1. Jo

    Beautiful! 10 people found this helpful

    Rating

    These plants are a butterfly magnet and gorgeous! I didn't have any problems with aphids. I live in zone 5b. I planted it next to salvia which unfortunately you can't see in the picture and it's not the best picture of the plant. But the orange is stunning in the sunlight and against the purple salvia, looks very regal.

    Response from store

    Thanks for your review and the photo! Your garden sounds like a butterfly’s dream! Happy gardening!
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  2. Grow Lady

    Aphids! 3 people found this helpful

    Rating

    This plant is a magnet for aphids! They literally covered every stem of each plant. Washing them off with water jets worked for overnight, but they were right back the next day. Since the only way to keep them off would be to use pesticides (safe or not), I pulled up all the plants and stuffed them into heavy-duty plastic bags, which I tied closed and took to the dump. What a shocking disappointment! There should have been a warning about this! The last time I had an outdoor aphid infestation on some lillies, I ended up fighting them all winter in my greenhouse since I brought them in without realizing they were on some of my cold-sensitive vines. It was a nasty mess. These asclepias were worse--so I ditched every one of them. Be warned!
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