18 Reasons to grow BUTTERFLY WEED

Asclepias tuberosa interior

  1. It has amazing orange gold flowers that really stand out.
  2. Blooms last quite a long time.
  3. It’s a perennial will come back year after year
  4. Deer don’t eat it, neither do rabbits.
  5. Hardy to zone 3 it’s a tough plant.
  6. Butterflies love it
  7. Native bees like it too
  8. Humming birds adore the flowers
  9. Makes a good cut flower
  10. Grows almost anywhere in full sun provided soil is well drained
  11. Fairly drought tolerant
  12. It’s a native plant to North America always good to grow natives
  13. It needs almost no care once you planted it
  14. Just plant and leave it alone, does not like to be moved has a large tap root.
  15. You can eat the shoots like asparagus (make sure you cook them don’t eat the raw)
  16. It’s also a food source for Monarch butterflies so don’t pick off any caterpillars. Save the Monarchs!
  17. Sap from this plant is clear and non toxic so it’s safe for children and pets (unlike some other milkweeds)
  18. The flowers are wonderful (oh yeah, I mentioned that but they are really great!)

Detailed growing information and seeds.