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Asclepias Gay Butterfly Milkweed

Asclepias Gay Butterfly Milkweed

Variety: Gay Butterfly
Regular price $18.95
Regular price Sale price $18.95
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  • Icon of a Map Point in a grey circle

    Zone

    4 - 9

  • Icon of a horizontal ruler in a grey circle

    Mature Height

    24 in

  • Icon of a vertical ruler in a grey circle

    Mature Width

    12 in

  • Icon of a sun in a grey circle

    Light

    Full Sun
  • Icon of a water drop in a grey circle

    Water

    Dry, Moist, well-drained
  • Icon of a seedling in dirt in a grey circle

    Soil

    Clay, Normal, loamy, Poor
  • Description / Asclepias Gay Butterfly Milkweed

    Asclepias Gay Butterfly Milkweed is a native wildflower that grows 18 to 24 inches tall and blooms all summer, continuing well into fall. This milkweed variety is valued for its compact, bushy appearance and long-lasting clusters of bright flowers in fiery shades of orange, red, and yellow. Its flowers are an important source of nectar for butterflies and many other pollinators, including hummingbirds; and the narrow, lance-shaped leaves are a food source for monarch butterfly larvae (caterpillars). Seedpods follow the flowers and are quite attractive and often used in autumn decorations and in dried floral arrangements.

    An Asclepias tuberosa variety, commonly called milkweed or butterfly weed, Gay Butterfly is a member of the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae). An herbaceous perennial in Zones 4-9, this cold hardy plant is perfect for massing in large drifts throughout a meadow or prairie. But it's one of the showiest wildflowers, and its small stature lends itself to modern gardens, especially butterfly gardens, native plant gardens, and even rock gardens, but it can also be grown in a container. If allowed, milkweed will freely self-seed, so it's perfect for naturalizing and for erosion control, and it makes a gorgeous flowering border.

    Gay Butterfly Mix can be planted almost anywhere and requires little care once established. It grows best in sunny locations with average, dry to medium moist, freely draining soils, but it grows well in poor, dry, and unimproved soils and tolerates drought. The plants are deer and rabbit resistant too.

    Plant Gay Butterfly roots in spring, placing them 12 inches apart and 1½ to 2 inches deep. Choose your location carefully, as milkweed does not transplant well.

    A native plant, milkweed or butterfly weed is indigenous to the prairies and grasslands of the Midwest and Great Plains and can be found from Maine to South Dakota to the desert southwest to Florida. Native plants are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly. Naturally adapted to the climate and soil conditions of the region, they thrive without fertilizers or extra watering, once established. They also act as natural pest controls, reducing the need for pesticides in the garden. Landscaping with native plants promotes biodiversity and provides shelter and quality food for wildlife and pollinators, bringing gardens to life.

    Sap may cause skin irritation.

  • Product Details

    SKU: 44457-PK-3
    Genus: Asclepias
    Species: tuberosa
    Variety: Gay Butterfly
    Item Form: Bareroot
    Bloom Color: Multi-Color, Orange, Red, Yellow
    Foliage Color: Medium Green
    Habit: Upright
    Light Requirements: Full Sun
    Moisture Requirements:
    • Dry
    • Moist, well-drained
    Bloom Start: Early Summer
    Bloom End: Mid Fall
    Uses:
    • Beds
    • Border
    • Containers
    • Fall Color
    Special Features:
    • Bird Lovers
    • Bloom First Year
    • Butterfly Lovers
    • Easy Care Plants
    • Flower
    • Fragrance
    • Hummingbird Lovers
    • Native
    Hardiness Zones: 4 - 9
    State Shipping Restrictions: GU, PR, VI

    *Does Not Qualify for Additional Discounts