Butterfly Weed

I love butterflies and for the past three years I have been working hard to attract more butterflies to our garden. Over the past two years I have planted 7 butterfly weeds (Asclepias tuberosa). They are suppose to be very easy to grow and the butterflies love them. The butterfly weed is a very special plant because not only do the blooms attract a variety of different butterflies as a nectar source but the plant is a type of milkweed and is also a host plant for the monarch caterpillar.

Well, my butterfly weeds are pretty pathetic looking plants. They are a single stalk ranging from 4-6" tall. Perhaps they didn't fare well during the drought when they were working at getting established, perhaps I got bad plants. I don't rightly know. What I do know is that finally after 2 years they are blooming and I couldn't be more thrilled.