As brilliantly orange as the Monarchs it attracts, the ever lovely Butterfly Weed is a must-have for those who treasure the presence of fluttering friends in the garden. Its clusters of glowing orange blooms are packed with vital nectar that Monarchs and other butterflies simply cannot resist, and its sheer beauty makes it just as irresistible to human eyes as well!

Butterfly Weed is doubly valuable to pollinators because it serves as a host plant where Monarchs, among others, lay their eggs. And the attractiveness of this flower is rivaled only by its resistance to extreme temperatures. Neither drought-plagued summers nor bitter winters can dim the glow of Asclepias tuberosa.

With all of these great attributes it is no wonder this specimen is the 2017 Perennial Plant of the Year! Butterfly Weed enjoys direct sunlight, and if planted in well-drained soil it will return to your faithfully year after year. (Let the final flowers mature on the plant, so they will scatter more seeds for next year’s garden.) Butterfly Weed reaches 2 feet high and 3 feet wide, growing best in zones 3-9.