Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a tough, drought tolerant wildflower native to Eastern North America. While not all wildflowers are welcome in the garden, some try to take over the place, and others grow too tall and flop when given extra moisture and fertile soil, Butterfly Weed is a well behaved and beautiful addition to any sunny, well drained location in the garden.
Clump of Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
It bears umbels of small flowers, usually orange, but their color can vary from yellow to near red. The flowers on these plants are orange with red interiors.
Close-up of Butterfly Weed flowers
Pretty flowers buds too
Just about any low maintenance plant with showy flowers would get my attention, but this one goes one step further. It's an important host plant for caterpillars of the beautiful black and orange Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus). In addition to the Monarchs, many butterflies and bees really enjoy the nectar from their flowers, so an established clump in bloom sees more air traffic than Chicago's O'Hare Airport.
Butterfly Weed with Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
1 comment:
You have a pale form from what I would consider typical A. tuberosa. I will send you some pictures to compare. Still variation or not it is beautiful. And come on ... do you move the mounted butterfly from flower to flower for pictures! ;) You could not ask for a better set up!
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