Asclepias 'Hello Yellow'

One of the finest native American perennials, Asclepias brightens the mid- to late-summer sunny garden with massive bloomheads, followed by handsome seedpods that are unequalled in dried arrangements. Now this coppery-orange species has a bright yellow cousin with the same great drought resistance, free blooming habit, and irresistible appeal to butterflies and bees!

'Hello Yellow' is just about the sunniest color we've ever seen outside a Marigold! The 3-inch flowerheads are simply jammed with blooms, and as they open, the butterflies and bees begin arriving. This Asclepias contains an essential food for Monarch butterflies, and apparently everything else with two wings finds it yummy as well!

'Hello Yellow' reaches 2 to 2½ feet tall and 2 feet wide, a nice size for the mixed border, blazing bed, or patio specimen. Unforgettable in a mass planting, it spreads its glory over many months -- the blooms are followed by seedpods that can be left on the plant (where they dry, sprout "wings," and blow away) or cut for indoor arrangements. The blooms are also good in fresh or dried displays, with good color retention and stiff texture.

Like most plants, this Asclepias is happiest in well-drained soils, but it will put up with a lot of hardship, including poor, dry soil and long periods of drought. It needs full sun and plenty of it to reach its peak performance. Hardy just about anywhere in the U.S., from Maine to Georgia. Zones 3-9.

• 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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