Ascelpias tuberosa – Butterfly Weed – Milkweed – Silkweed

Description

Asclepia tuberosa ‘Butterfly weed’ blooms June to August comes in quart and one gallon containers Ascelpias tuberosa – Butterfly Weed – This tuberous, hairy, mounding forming perennial from Eastern and Southern North America grows to 36” tall and spreads to 12” wide. On thick stems it carries numerous spirally arranged lance shaped to oblong-ovate light to mid green leaves up to 5 ½” long. From midsummer to early autumn it bears axillary and terminal umbel-like cymes up to 2” wide of orange sometimes orange-red or yellow flowers. Flowers are followed by fruit 3 ½-5” long on nodding stalks. They’re adaptable to both moist and very dry soils and need full sun and good drainage perennial that attracts butterflies – Cold hardiness varies greatly between species. These easily grown plants that need fertile, well-drained, loamy soil in full sun. Divide in spring. Zones 3-9