Asclepias tuberosa orange butterfly weed high country gardens. The adults drink nectar from the plants summertime orange flowers, and the caterpillars eat the plants leaves. When the caterpillars hatch, they feed on the leaves of milkweed. Add variety to your garden with other milkweeds, such as annual bloodflower or tall swamp milkweed. Butterfly weed plants are easy to grow by seed, but may not produce blooms for two or three years. Asclepias tuberosa butterfly milkweed, butterfly weed from. Asclepias tuberosa orange butterfly weed is a food source for monarch butterfly caterpillars and very attractive to many varieties of butterflies. The plant will grow to 2 to 3 feet in height and 15 to 24 inches wide. Seeds benefit from being chilled for 4 weeks in the refrigerator before being planted.
It is important to keep in mind that there are probably no plants that are 100% deerproof. Butterfly milkweed grows on sandy, loamy, or rocky limestone soils of prairies, open woodlands, roadsides, and disturbed areas similar to other milkweed species. Cinderella butterfly weed plant buy online at nature hills. Deep tap roots make this a good drought tolerant plant to grow in zones 3 9. Asclepias tuberosa, commonly called butterfly weed, is a tuberous rooted, missouri native perennial which occurs in dryrocky open woods, glades, prairies, fields and roadsides throughout the state steyermark. It thrives in light, sandy, well drained soil with full sun. Butterfly weed also known as butterfly milkweed is a native flower that is common in the wild over most of america and half of canada. Butterfly milkweed asclepias tuberosa ontario wildflowers. Super hardy and astonishingly colorful, you cant go wrong with these in your garden. Sow indoors 8 weeks before outdoor planting date in spring using a seed starting kit. Planting a block of milkweed is the easiest way to help rebound the plummeting population of this beloved butterfly, but you might choose to plant it based on looks alone. I have a butterfly weed plant that is several years old.
Asclepias may be grown from seed sown early indoors and transplanted outside after frost, or sown directly in the garden in summer, or grown from potted plants. Butterfly weed s long taproots protect the plant through long dry spells, but they also mean the plant resents transplanting. Butterfly weed plants asclepias tuberosa are troublefree north american natives that produce umbels of bright orange, yellow or red blooms all summer long. Planting milkweed asclepias is essential to creating a habitat for the beloved monarch butterfly s survival, as they are the only plants on which monarch caterpillars will feed. This genus, commonly known as milkweed, consists of many north american native species, and is most notable for attracting butterflies. Sow seeds indoors 68 weeks before last spring frost date using a seed. It typically grows in a clump to tall and features clusters umbels of bright orange to yelloworange flowers atop upright to reclining. I dug it up from a ditch a few years ago and transplanted it to the wild area of my yard. Contrary to the plant s name, it is not considered a noxious weed, but is valued for the deep orange, red and yellow flowers which attract monarch butterflies. Swamp milkweed asclepias incarnata has rosepurple flowers.
Harvest the seed pods of butterfly weed when the pods begin to split. When sowing seeds outdoors, work up the soil in a protected location in early to midnovember. Butterfly weed has an interesting and unusual flower structure. Its leaves are long and pointed with smooth edges, and they alternate on the stem. Insects love them, and you will usually see a lot of bees, flies, butterflies and other insects swarming around butterfly milkweed on warm sunny days. Soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours before planting. Longlasting clusters of small, flattopped flowers are. Asclepias species, butterfly milkweed, butterfly weed. The species name tuberose refers to the tuberous knobby and with swellings roots. How to plant butterfly weed seeds home guides sf gate. Butterfly weed is the iconic, bright orange beauty thats a staple in every butterfly garden. Plant butterfly weed in mixed borders, meadows and natural areas. The sap is clear, which is unique among the many kinds of milkweeds. Butterfly weed flowers bloom from june to september, followed in the fall by seed pods from 4 to 5 inches long, containing the seeds with their long silky hairs or floss.
Shipping begins the week of april 6th, 2020 learn more bag of 3 plant 3 pot tray of 16 tray of 32. Asclepias tuberosa orange butterfly weed high country. Butterfly weed plants can grow up to 3 feet in height and produce their famous flowers in spring through early fall. Butterfly weed plants can grow up to 3 feet in height and produce their famous flowers. Monarch butterfly garden kit 28 species of perennial milkweed and wildflower seeds if you grow it monarchs will come kids stem project create a beautiful garden full of butterflies 3. Butterfly weed is a member of the milkweed family asclepiadaceae.
Butterfly weed is a bushy, perennial plant with a diameter of about 1. Growing butterfly weed requires very little effort. Common milkweed asclepias syriaca swamp milkweed a. Asclepias may be grown from seed sown early indoors and transplanted outside after frost, or sown directly in the garden after frost. Establishment butterfly milkweed is easily propagated by both seed. Feb 07, 2020 dig a hole using the spade approximately. Showy milkweed asclepias speciosa and common milkweed asclepias syrica are easy to grow, spreading by underground roots, and are best planted in peripheral areas of the landscape, where weediness wont be a. It is a beautiful, full plant with lots of orange flowers every year, at first. Butterfly weed is a perennial wildflower native to north america.
Butterfly weed asclepias tuberosa american meadows. As the main food source for the beloved monarch butterfly caterpillar, milkweed has seen a huge resurgence in popularity as of late. Planting milkweed asclepias is essential to creating a habitat for the beloved monarch butterflys survival, as they are the only plants on which monarch caterpillars will feed. Asclepias gay butterflies mixture white flower farm. Butterfly weed, one of the most striking of native plants, lights up the prairies with its blazing orange flowers. In fact it is a very well behaved plant in the butterfly garden. Butterfly weed, butterfly milkweed, orange milkweed, pleurisy root, chigger flower asclepiadaceous milkweed family butterfly milkweed seed.
Add compost or peat humus to enrich and loosen the soil if needed, but they are very adaptable to almost any soil conditions provided it dries out thoroughly between watering. Plant butterfly weed in a sunny spot, stand back, and watch the butterflies flock to your yard. Planting instructions for asclepias tuberosa butterfly weed. Common milkweed asclepias syriaca has rosepurple flowers. Wait for the butterfly weed to start growing in the. For current distribution, please consult the plant profile page for this species on the plants web site. Deerresistant butterfly plants this list of butterfly nectar and host plants, currently fairly general, has been gathered from several sources. Mar 20, 2014 butterfly weed is a bushy, perennial plant with a diameter of about 1. Sep 21, 2017 butterfly weed is a perennial wildflower native to north america. Use asclepias in pollinator gardens, sunny borders, and meadows. Milkweed and butterfly weed plants, both members of the asclepias family, are the sole food source for monarch butterfly caterpillars.
Native host plant for monarch butterflies that will regrow each spring after sowing from seed. Butterfly weed lives up to its name, attracting monarchs and. Aphids can also be removed by blasting the plant with a high pressure stream of water. Plant your butterfly weed in a sunny spot in a sandy loam that stays relatively dry and welldraining. Plants profile for asclepias tuberosa butterfly milkweed. Nov 29, 2011 here is my asclepias tuberosa, aka butterfly weed. Butterfly weed is a musthave plant for butterfly lovers. This tough perennial helps out monarchs, and the flowers are a great nectar source for many other pollinators. Asclepias tuberosa butterfly weed 4 live bareroot plants starter monarch host. Dont worry if the caterpillars eat the leaves that is a milkweed plants purpose in your garden, to help propagate more butterflies. One of its common names, pleurisy root, refers to an old remedy for lung ailments that contained this plant. Milkweed plant varieties growing different milkweed plants. It typically grows in a clump to tall and features clusters umbels of bright orange to yelloworange flowers atop upright to.
Common milkweed plants grow to about two to four feet in height, with a thin, vertical growth habit. Plant a few butterfly weed plants asclepias tuberosa around your garden and see what we mean. The butterfly weed asclepias tuberosa is a member of the milkweed family. Asclepias tuberosa, the butterfly weed, is a species of milkweed native to eastern north america. This plant, unlike the other milkweeds, contains little or no milky juice. Make sure the plants are well watered, but not overwatered. Below is a list of different types of milkweed and their native regions. Butterfly weed, pleurisy root, asclepias tuberosa herb use. Wait for the butterfly weed to start growing in the springtime. Common milkweed asclepias syriaca is a native herbaceous perennial whose main virtue is its appeal to butterfliesespecially the monarch, which deposits its eggs on the milkweed. It gets its name of butterfly weed because the flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and the leaves are a food source for monarch butterfly larvae caterpillars. Butterfly weed plants mix beautifully with other natives like yarrow, rudbeckia and sage.
At one time, the silk from butterfly weed seed pods was. This showy native wildflower is easy to grow, cold hardy, and does well in poor, dry soils. Cinderella butterfly plant, asclepias incarnata cinderella, is a virtually hasslefree perennial, offering three months of vanillascented, rosepink flowers in large, compact clusters from midsummer to early fall. It is also the larval food plant of the queen and monarch butterflies, as well as the dogbane tiger moth, milkweed tussock moth, and the unexpected. Contrary to the plants name, it is not considered a noxious weed, but is valued for the deep orange, red and yellow flowers which attract monarch butterflies. The large, flattopped clusters of bright orange to yellow orange flowers make it easy to spot from early summer to fall. One of our showiest native wildflowers, butterfly weed is also a favorite of gardeners. Butterfly weed is appropriately named, as the nectar and pollenrich flowers attract hummingbirds and hordes of butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects throughout the blooming season. Grow a butterfly weed or two and youre sure to have monarchs. It is also the larval food plant of the queen and monarch butterflies, as well as the dogbane tiger moth, milkweed tussock moth, and the.
The genus name asclepias is named after the greek god of medicine asklepios. Swamp milkweed eventually matures to forms clumps up to 36 across. This special selection of the wildflower orange butterfly weed is unique in its ability to grow in heavier soils including clay. Grow butterfly weed seeds plant swamp milkweed carminenamed butterfly weed for a reason, this attractive and fragrant perennial will draw butterflies and bees, and birds. Asclepias curassavica silky gold golden butterflyweed this is an all yellow form of the typically orange and yellow butterfly weed, also known as tropical milkweed, a tender evergreen perennial is prized for attracting butterflies, particularly the monarch butterfly, into the garden. How to grow butterfly weed in your garden the spruce.
Cinderella butterfly weed plant buy online at nature. Seeds can be sown directly outdoors in late fall or started indoors. Their flowers are excellent nectar sources, and the plants are important hosts for the larval stage of the monarch butterfly. Scatter the seeds over the prepared seed bed and then cover the seeds with approximately 14 inch of soil. Common milkweed has a milky sap like most types of milkweeds, an aspect of the plant that gives milkweeds their name. It provides food and shelter for many species of butterflies, including the beloved monarch. Department of agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10. Plants will vary by location based on best of season, size and readiness. Milkweed, butterfly weed, asclepias plants american meadows. Butterfly milkweed seed thrives in rocky or sandy soil, typically in open fields or along roadsides. Botanically known as asclepias tuberosa, it has a few common names. Information on the butterfly weed plant home guides. It is commonly known as butterfly weed because of the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. Dogbane family apocynaceae, milkweed family asclepiadaceae group.
Common milkweed grows as high as 5 feet, while butterfly weed is shorter, with most between 1 and 3 feet tall. Butterfly weed asclepias tuberosa, swamp milkweed asclepias incarnata are considered the best varieties for an ornamental garden. You can plant them closer and then thin the plants as they grow in, or, plant swamp milkweed and its cultivars between 30 and 36 apart. It is also the larval food plant of the queen and monarch butterflies, as well as the dogbane tiger. Butterfly weed, a type of milkweed, is a favorite nectar plant for butterflies, and the leaves are eaten by monarch caterpillars. I read that its suppose to bloom throughout summer but mine only blooms for a short period. Butterfly weed, whorled milkweed, and common milkweed should all be spaced about 18 apart. Plant it to support monarch butterfly caterpillars in u. So much so that it was voted the 2017 perennial plant of the year by the perennial plant association. This list does not contain all varieties of milkweed, just the best kinds of milkweed to support monarchs in your region. Some of my milkweed otherwise known as butterfly weed is growing under a sun shade that is 7030 but the sun shade is in full sun. Impossibly attractive to pollinators, it almost doesnt matter that carmine butterfly milkweed offers lovely purplepink blooms from summer through early fall. Nov 11, 2019 the butterfly weed asclepias tuberosa is a member of the milkweed family. Asclepias tuberosa butterfly weed for monarch butterflies.
Butterfly weed is easy, can be transplanted in fall or grown from seed, prefers a welldrained light, sandy, humus rich, or peaty soil in a. The nectarrich blooms attract a wide variety of butterfly species and the foliage is an important food source for monarch butterfly larvae. Asclepias curassavica silky gold at san marcos growers. At one time, the silk from butterfly weed seed pods was spun for fabric.
Butterfly weed is one of those plants that is an absolute must if you are trying to attract butterflies and other beneficial insects to your garden. What is a butterfly weed how to grow butterfly weed in the. Butterfly weed is slow to emerge in spring, so you may want to mark where they are. Order your butterfly weed plant from nature hills today. Provide the plant a permanent location with poor to averagely fertile.
Use it in butterfly gardens, as well as the middle or back of the border. Purchase of one unit will include one type of plant. What is a butterfly weed how to grow butterfly weed in. The plant, suitable for growing in usda plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, thrives in bright sunlight and poor, dry, sandy or gravelly soil with a slightly acidic or neutral ph.
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