Asclepias tuberosa

Asclepias tuberosa

Masses of Glowing Color!

2 Reviews — Write a Review
1-Quart
Item # 49296
Ships in Fall at the proper planting time for your zone. View Schedule
$10.95
Butterfly Burst Icon

Now is your chance to take home the 2017 Perennial Plant of the Year! Big orange blooms of the Asclepias tuberosa (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 Asclepias tuberosa 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. Asclepias tuberosa 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 tuberosa 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.

Review Summary
(Based on 2 Reviews)

Overall Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

Reviews

The Ticket!
Casilda from TN wrote on December 21, 2016:

Bought three many years ago and still glad I did. Slow to spread but cast iron. Yellow cone flowers, red daylilies and this butterfly weed, that's the ticket.

Best for butterflies
Nancy from AB wrote on July 10, 2014:

It is a beautiful addition to my garden, and it attracts many butterflies and hummingbirds. If you are making a butterfly garden or just plain, consider getting these.

  • 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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Tips for gardening in particularly hot, dry climates:


1. Water with a drip system whenever possible – soak the bed slowly and thoroughly to a depth of 10" to 12".

2. Watering deeply every 3 to 5 days is preferable to a shallow daily watering.

3. Water in the early morning, so foliage has time to dry.

4. Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch or similar material to aid in water retention and help keep the roots cool during hot weather.