A bang out of milkweed, butterfly weed attracts and supports lots of pollinators, including monarch butterflies.
Some species of milkweed are toxic to pets.
Some varieties of butterfly weed will grow in clay soil, but most prefer well-drained soil.
Credit:Kritsada Panichgul
Fill the hole with soil around the root ball or bare roots and water the soil thoroughly.
In spring, butterfly weed leaves often emerge later than other spring garden perennials.
So, when weeding your garden in the spring, be careful not to pull out the young plants.
Credit: Courtesy of BlazingStarButterfly / Etsy
Once growth begins, however, the plants seem to appear overnight.
Sow the seeds in a prepared and protected garden bed and cover them with 1/4 inch of soil.
The seedlings should emerge in late spring.
Credit:Denny Schrock
When they reach 3 to 4 inches tall, you could transplant them to their permanent location.
you might also sow seeds indoors in the fall in amoist seed-starting medium.
Sprinkle them in a flat and cover them with 1/4 inch of the medium.
Credit:Better Homes and Gardens
Moisten again and put the flat in a plastic bag.
The seeds should germinate 3 to 4 weeks later.
Transplant them to their permanent location when they reach 3 to 4 inches tall.
Credit: Illustration by Gary Palmer
Light
Butterfly weed needsfull sun(at least 6 hours per day) to bloom.
Soil and Water
Plant your butterfly weed plants approximately 12 to 18 inches apart inwell-drained garden soil.
You don’t have to do this, but it will curtail some of the plant’s self-seeding tendencies.
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
During the growing season, you’re free to alsodeadhead spent bloomsto encourage additional flowers.
A deep 10- to 12-inch pot for each plant should be sufficient.
When your plant dies back for winter, cut the branches down almost to the soil level.
Although butterfly weed is winter-hardy, potted plants require that extra protection.
There is no need to repot this plant or refresh the growing medium each year.
It thrives in poor soil.
When grown in wet soil or poorly drained soil, butterfly weed might develop crown rot.
To prevent this, don’t overwater your plant.
Pinch off all but the top two leaves.
Just be sure to collect the pods before they split open and disperse their seeds.
Capture the seeds and place them in an envelope or container in a dry, cool area.
Its leaves provide food for monarch butterfly caterpillars.
Its striking orange flowers attract lots of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
This spring bloomer grows to 24 inches tall and 20 inches wide in Zones 4-8.
‘Prairie Gold’
‘Prairie Gold’ is a lovely golden yellow butterfly weed native to Indiana.
It is striking when grown in mass plantings.
It grows to 24 inches tall and 15 inches wide and blooms in summer in Zones 4-9.
The flowers grow in dense clusters from June through August on 30-inch-tall plants in Zones 4-11.
Butterfly Weed Companion Plants
Butterfly weed works well in perennial gardens, prairie plantings.
Use similar-sized native plants for companions.
It grows in small, tight clumps with many bright flowers on each plant and will tolerate partial shade.
Thistough native perenniallights up the spring/early summer garden with its bright yellow flowers that attract pollinators.
It reaches 24 inches in height and has a low-growing mound habit.
Zone 4-9
Little Bluestem
Denny Schrock
Short to medium grasses add diversity and texture to your garden.
Trylittle bluestem(Schizachyrium scoparium),a warm-season grass that thrives in native prairie habitats.
This rugged, easy-care ornamental grass grows 3 feet tall.
Salvias (like theSalvia nemorosaSensation Rose shown here) are also great nectar sources.
If you plant them, expect pollinators (especially hummingbirds) to visit your garden.
These plants all thrive in full sun and keep on blooming through heat, humidity, and drought.
Feel free to add a small birdhouse or a water source, such as a birdbath.
Butterfly weed doesn’t have this milky sap.
“North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
“Milkweed.“ASPCA.
“Spreading Milkweed, Not Myths.“U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
