2017 Perennial Plant of the Year

Butterfly Weed

Butterfly weed is a favorite nectar source for butterflies, bees, wasps, beetles and hummingbirds.

Vibrant orange, yellow and red flowers make excellent, long-lasting cut flowers.

Monarch butterfly catepillars devouring the leaves of Butterfly Weed.

Asclepias tuberosa, commonly called Butterfly Weed was named the 2017 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association.  Butterfly Weed is a long lived, native perennial to the continental United States.  As it name suggests, it is a butterfly magnet.  In addition, many bees, wasps, ants, and beetles visit butterfly weed as well as hummingbirds.  It is a member of the milkweed family and its leaves are a food source for the monarch butterfly caterpillar.

Butterfly Weed grows best in full sun and well-drained soil.  It is drought tolerant due to a long tap root.  Mature plants do not transplant well, so proper placement is important. Grows 2'-3' tall and wide and is hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 9. It is slow to emerge in the spring and deer tend to leave it alone. Deadheading Butterfly Weed is recommended to prevent reseeding. 

Asclepias tuberosa makes excellent, long-lasting cut flowers. Cut stems when more than half the flowers are open; buds do not open well once the stem is cut. Searing the cut end is not necessary to prevent sap from seeping out of the stems. Instead, cut flowers have a good vase life if they are immediately placed in warm water after cutting and either placing stems in a refrigerator for 12 hours or transferring the stems to cold water. This process eliminates what little sap may be produced. (Perennial Plant Association)