Asclepias tuberosa

Now is your chance to take home the 2017 Perennial Plant of the Year! Big orange blooms of the Butterfly Weed welcome droves of midsummer butterflies, especially Monarchs, with glowing color. This lovely perennial is both a nectar source and a host plant where butterflies lay eggs. With lovely foliage, the Butterfly Weed dazzles long after it blooms. It needs only plenty of sunshine, tolerates heat and drought easily, survives winters unharmed, and returns dependably year after year. It reaches about two feet in height, three feet in width, in Zones 3-9. Set plants 12 to 15 inches apart in sunny locations with well-drained soil. Plant the crown two to four inches deep. Asclepias is late to break dormancy in the spring and should not be removed during cultivation. Established plants have extensive taproots that should not be disturbed. New plants may benefit from a winter mulch but need no other special care.

• Butterflies like a lot of sunlight, so locate your garden in a sunny area.
• If you live in a windy location, plant your butterfly-attracting plants near a building, fence, or hedge to protect them.
• Plant a variety of nectar-rich plants, as well as shrubs and evergreens for shelter.
• Since many butterflies and native flowering plants have co-evolved, try to put in some that are native to your area. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center provides lists of plants native to states and regions.
• Certain colors are particularly attracting to butterflies – red, yellow, pink, purple, or orange blooms that are clustered or flat-topped, with a short flower tubes are especially attractive to adult butterflies.
• Avoid using pesticides, especially around nectar-producing plants.
• Provide a shallow source of water – try a birdbath with pebbles lining the bowl.
• Place a rock in a sunny spot for butterfly basking and resting.
• Create a "puddling area" by digging a shallow hole filled with compost or manure where rainwater will collect and release essential salts and minerals.
• If you want butterflies to breed in your garden, put in some caterpillar food plants, such as parsley, milkweeds, asters, thistles, violets, clover, grasses, and Queen Anne’s Lace.
• Since butterflies need nectar throughout the entire adult phase of their lives, try to create a design that will allow for a continuous bloom – when one stops blooming, another starts.

Asclepias
Tuberosa

Planting:

Set plants 12 to 15 inches apart. Choose a sunny location where the soil, which need not be particularly fertile, is well-drained. Plant the crown 2 to 4 inches deep.

Maintenance:

Asclepias is late to break dormancy in the spring, so take care not to remove it accidentally during cultivation. Because of its extensive taproot (which helps account for its drought-tolerance), avoid disturbing established plants. Newly set out plants may benefit from a winter mulch; otherwise no special care is needed.

Zones:

Zones 3 to 9

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Since its founding in 1920, Wayside Gardens has brought the rarest and highest-quality plants to the garden market. Wayside was founded in 1920 by two acclaimed growers who came together to pursue their shared vision of marketing all high-end plants for the serious garden enthusiast. Originally located in Mentor, Ohio, Wayside Gardens swiftly grew a reputation for the highest-quality plants and the most sophisticated clientele. In 1975, Wayside was purchased by the Park Seed Company, and moved to Hodges, SC.  The company has flourished since then, growing to become an undisputed leader in rare and unique plant growing.

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