Deer-resistant and with incredibly showy, long-blooming flowers, this species is a must-have. Because of the enormous number of bees, clear wing moths, and other pollinators it attracts, wild bergamot is frequently referred to as bee balm. Bumble bees love wild bergamot because its nectar is available 24 hours a day. Several moths, including the beautiful …
Our native Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa, has long been a favorite in the farm’s borders, beds, and meadows. It’s gotten a lot of attention in recent years since it’s an important source of food for Monarch butterflies during their larval stage. (Visit the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation’s website for additional information on its work …
When the seed pods of butterfly weed begin to split, harvest them. In the late fall, seeds can be sown immediately outdoors or begun indoors. In early to mid-November, build up the soil in a protected spot before spreading seeds outside. Cover the seeds with about 1/4 inch of dirt after scattering them over the …
Milkweed, also known as asclepias, is native to North America, and one of them, Asclepias tuberosa, has been named Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association this year. This plant, sometimes known as butterfly weed or butterfly milkweed, has bright orange flowers that attract a variety of butterflies and bees with nectar …
While many butterflies require certain host plants to grow their young (a list of other butterfly host plants may be found here), no butterfly is more important to our collective psyche than the monarch butterfly. Monarch butterfly numbers have plummeted in recent decades, and an increasing number of home gardeners want to help by planting …
Despite its name, butterfly weed is an extremely beneficial plant, particularly for pollinators. Butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, bees, and other insects have been known to visit these vibrant blossoms. Butterfly weed grows wild in most of the United States, mostly on prairies, open forests, and slopes. Does butterfly weed attract pollinators? These are plants that are …
Because the butterfly weed has a big taproot that can reach a depth of a foot or more in the soil, division is difficult, but it can be done in the fall or early spring before new growth begins. Butterfly weed necessitates the identification of the optimal plant location. Plants grow more stems as they …
Asclepias syriaca, or common milkweed, is a perennial plant that can be found in a variety of settings, including roadsides, fields, and gardens. It is a North American native that reproduces mostly via seed. It can spread from its rhizomatous root system after it has established itself. The stems of common milkweed are covered in …
24″ to 36″ tall, 12″ to 24″ broad. Butterfly Weed, the most well-known member of our native milkweed family and a well-known butterfly magnet, prefers fast-draining, gritty soil and full sun. This aromatic beauty blooms from early to late summer and has a deep tap root that should not be disturbed. Butterfly Weed, unlike other …
Butterfly weed requires relatively little work to grow. The plant thrives in broad sunlight and poor, dry, sandy, or gravelly soil with a slightly acidic or neutral pH, and is suited for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. Butterfly weed plants are easy to establish from seed, although blooms may take two …
