Companions for orange butterfly weed
barbarag_happy
8 years ago
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Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
Comments (21)Angie, "Hello Yellow" is a named cultivar of Asclepias tuberosa that has yellow to gold colored flowers. Usually you see A tuberosa in shades of orange to red, but not on one plant. "Gay Butterflies" is a named cultivar that has different shades of oranges and reds on one plant. Here in Oklahoma, A tuberosa grows wild. You will see clumps of it growing across the prairie areas and on old farm lands. I find it to be quite beautiful. One of my favorite mind pictures is of a clump that I saw that was covered with Great Spangled Frits. Talk about something absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. A tuberosa has smaller, fuzzier leaves than the tropical milkweed, or A curavassica. The tuberosa plants also have a lower, scrubbier appearance. Tropical milkweed is an annual in Oklahoma. I IDed your picture by the leaves and the flower heads. The leaves are bigger than A tuberosa and smoother. The flower heads are more open, and the plants are usually taller than the native milkweed. Hope this helps. I've been checking online this evening, and found 10 seeds for $9.98. I think I'll probably opt for finding some plants and trying again to collect seeds in the fall. I had 2 plants last year, but a gopher decided to eat them before I collected any seeds. Sandy...See MoreButterfly bush and companion plants
Comments (3)Alana - do you want butterfly host plants or just nectar plants, or both? I'm assuming this is a sunny area, right? The butterfly bush may provide some shade eventually, too. Asters are good for fall bloom and come in a variety of colors. Liatris - good nectaring for lots of different species. You can usually get a pack of 25 for about $4-5.00. What kind of lilies did you get? Asiatics bloom first and then orientals. Lilium formosanum is a fall blooming lily that is quite lovely, too. You can plant some daffodils and hyacinth as well for early spring blooms. Amsonias are great for mid-late spring blooms, with blue starry flowers, and brilliant yellow foliage color in fall. Good nectar plant. Do you have any milkweed planted for the Monarchs? It's their host plant. Tropical is an annual, but reseeds in my zone 7. There is the red/yellow flowering, and the yellow flowering. They start blooming around now, and continue to bloom until frost. You can use Rue as a grouping, or edging plant. It's pretty with blue-green foliage, and is the host plant for both Black Swallowtails and Giant Swallowtails. Rue can cause contact dermatitus for some people. It doesn't bother me. If you want to put in a trellis, you can grow a passion vine or pipevine. Passion vines are a host plant for Gulf Fritillaries, and pipevine is for the Pipevine Swallowtails. Passion flowers also attract hummingbirds in my garden. Scattering some seed of Cleomes will serve as nectar plants and hosts for the Cabbage Whites. They reseed, but don't make a nuisance. There are white, pink, lavendar flowered cleomes. A lavendar would give you sweet fragrance and blooms that attract lots of butterflies. I have lavendar x intermedia 'Provence'. Needs very dry, neutral soil. The tropical milkweed also attracts hummers in my zone 7 garden. Fennel, either bronze or green, will give you some variation in structure in your garden, and it hosts Black Swallowtails as well. There are just so many, hard to mention all. Check out our FAQs for recommended nectar and host plants. Susan...See MoreHAVE: Butterfly Weed (orange); Asclepias tuberosa
Comments (1)don't have anything to trade at this time but would like some seeds if you will sase Etta...See Morenative blue or purple companion for butterfly weed
Comments (9)Thank you all for your suggestions. As I have done all my life, I considered everyone's suggestions, then I went with my own decision!! I ended up planting the butterfly weed with blue false indigo (baptisia australis). Not sure if their blooms will coincide, but the blue-green foliage of the baptisia is attractive all summer long. Since most everyone suggested echinacea, I planted the orange meadow bright cultivar close by. Jenny...See Morebarbarag_happy
8 years agomickeymantle
8 years agoNell
8 years agoWoodsTea 6a MO
8 years agoNell
8 years agomickeymantle
8 years agomickeymantle
8 years agobarbarag_happy
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8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoedlincoln
8 years ago
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