Grow Butterfly Weed for more than just butterflies

Butterfly Milkweedweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a must in any garden looking to attract a selection of butterflies.

A member of the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae), this attractive, long-lived, 1-2 foot perennial might be best known for its attractiveness to butterflies, but don’t let that convince you that you need it.

Consider that it is one of the few flowers that can introduce a solid hit of orange to the garden with its large, flat-topped clusters (umbels) of between 10-30 individual bright orange flowers that bloom from spring through to fall, beginning as early as May in some areas and continuing through June, July, August and even into September.

The large orange clusters grow to between 1-3 inches, and sport 5 petals, sepals and hoods with horns, adding to their interest.

Butterfly Weed is a herbaceous perennial native to Eastern North America and individual blooms of the bright orange flowers can last up to two months, with a typical bloom time of June to August.

It’s flower structure is both interesting and unusual with its more or less flat cluster of bright orange flowers that create the perfect landing area for both large and small butterflies, where it is both an attractant and a larval host for the Monarch, Grey Haristreak and Queens. The long-lasting clusters of small, flat-topped flowers are topped with a yellow corona.

But that is not all. Butterfly weed’s nectar also attracts hummingbirds and is extremely valuable to its primary pollinators native bees including our Bumble bees. They also hold special value to Honey Bees.

Butterfly Weed, like all members of the Milkweed family, are particularly attractive to monarch butterflies. Here is a graphic illustrating the life cycle of the Monarch on milkweed.

This is one tough plant. It grows in USDA zones 3-9 and is native from New England south to Florida; west to Texas and north through Colorado to Minnesota. In Canada, it is native from Ontario to Newfoundland.

If you are looking for it in its native habitat, you’ll most likely find it growing in the prairies, in open woods and hillsides.

This outstanding infographic was created by Justin Lewis showing the wildlife that depend on Butterfly Milkweed.

It does best in well-drained sand or loam, but can grow in clay or even in limestone dominated areas. They prefer well-drained sandy soils, but tolerates drought.

Continuing with its tough, hardy approach, it likes lots of sun and can survive in both dry and moist soils, but maintains a high tolerance for dry conditions.

It’s also extremely deer and rabbit resistance, making it an even more important addition for woodland gardeners.

In our garden, Butterfly weed is growing in at least three different areas to provide a reliable source for butterflies and bees.

Although I bought the plants, Butterfly weed plants can be started either from seed or by taking root cuttings. It’s easiest to grow the plants from root cuttings taken in the fall, cut into 2-inch cuttings and planted vertically.

If you are growing this plant, you are more than likely to experience aphids on the plants. Lady bugs and other predator insects should take care of the problem in fast order, but if the aphids get out of control, a regular hits with the hose should keep them under control.

Because the plants are a host plant for butterflies, it should go without saying that no pesticides should ever be used on the plants, including those that advertise as “natural.”

The only natural pesticide is nature itself.

The plants is more or less trouble free, but too much watering could lead to root rot. Other fungal diseases are possible as well but they are nothing to worry about or take any real action against.

There are cultivars available including those with bright yellow flowers (Hello Yellow), reddish flowers (Gay Butterflies) and a golden-orange flowered variety that has been bred for alkaline soils, but stick with the native plants for best results unless you want to experiment with the hybrids.

The three-inch-long, by half-an-inch wide dark green leaves grow in an alternate fashion along the stalk and will often curl upward along the central vein.