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(Norman Winter is vice president for college advancement, Brewton Parker College, Mount Vernon, Ga., and author of the highly acclaimed “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and his release “Captivating Combinations Color and Style in the Garden”. Contact him at [email protected].)
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Though we may call it a weed, Asclepias is named after the Greek god of healing. And when the monarch butterfly finds it, it becomes a festival of feasting.
Though we can’t really get inside the head of a monarch butterfly, we do know the larvae devour the leaves and the adults relish the nectar, making these plants a must for backyard wildlife habitats.
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Despite the great virtues of this genus, the Asclepias has always been in need of a marketing agent. For instance, the native A. tuberosa is known as butterfly weed. Who wants to buy a weed? Then take the native A. incarnata, known as swamp milkweed. Try selling a plant called a swamp weed and one that gets its name from the oozing juices when broken. (A tough sell, to say the least.) My favorite is the tropical A. curassavica; this truly beautiful plant is known as bloodroot or bloodflower. Yuck.
But if you love butterflies, don’t let the names deter you. The fiery bright orange of the native butterfly weed will stand out in any landscape. It has a large native range and is hardy from Zones 3 to 10. Though the orange flowers are thrilling to photograph, just wait until it loads up with both caterpillars and adults feasting. This will be something the whole family remembers.
Though I’m touting their appeal to monarch butterflies, several other species will feast on the nectar — with hummingbirds fighting for their share as well.
When the monarchs come to feast on the nectar, you may not even notice them laying eggs that will hatch and turn into colorful caterpillars. These starving creatures literally will strip the leaves and flowers, making the plant look like a pencil cactus. The story is much the same for the swamp milkweed, only instead of orange you’ll be working with hot pink. The caterpillars will grow from tiny to huge in what seems like days. Then about the time you think the plant is dead, new leaves and flowers will appear, and you’ll notice even more butterflies.
Congratulations: You’re a proud parent.
Believe it or not, there are named selections of the butterfly weed: Gay Butterflies (orange, red and yellow mixed), Orange Flame (orange), Vermillion (red) and Hello Yellow (yellow) are the leading selections. Though it may be hard to find the natives, it is getting easier to find the bloodroot. Silky Deep Red (bicolored scarlet with yellow) and Silky Gold (a brilliant yellow gold) have become prized plants at many garden centers. Though they’re tropicals, they will return as perennials in Zone 8 and will often reseed in other regions. Watch closely, though, because the seedpods will split open as they mature, and the seeds will become airborne.
Growing these flowers from seed is simple: The small seeds should be lightly covered with soil that is kept moist until germination. Once planted in the garden, they are considered drought-tolerant and should be watered sparingly but deeply when needed. Fertilizer needs are low: Just give them a light application in the spring with the emergence of new growth.
When you see caterpillars feeding, remember not to spray an insecticide. Instead, create a butterfly garden with the addition of other butterfly plants such as Empire Blue, Nanho Blue or Black Knight buddleia. The combination plantings are almost limitless, including common garden plants like zinnias and rudbeckias.
When you plant asclepias you’ll be doubly happy with plants that not only are beautiful, but serve as a food source for butterflies and hummingbirds as well.