Ian Robertson, Ltd.
Plant of the Month
July
Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow' - Yellow Butterfly Weed
For a long lasting burst of sunshine in your garden, not many plants can match this yellow Butterfly Weed. If you have a butterfly or wildlife garden, it is simply a must, but is also welcome in a perennial border. The species, which is a vibrant orange, is native to Eastern North America. Take a drive out into the country and you will find it blooming now along the road and in fields. This cultivar provides an alternate bold color, and is slightly smaller than the species.
Hello Yellow will bloom from July into September, and the flowers are followed by interesting seedpods. This cultivar is slightly more drought tolerant than the species, and also will tolerate some salt. It makes a good cut flower. As the name suggests, it is a butterfly magnet.
Butterfly Weed is slow to break dormancy in the spring, so be sure to mark it's location so you do not plant something else on top of it. When it does emerge, do not remove those caterpillars!! They may well be the larvae of Monarch Butterflies, which rely on Asclepias for both larvae food and nectar for adults. Bees are also attracted to the flowers, so keep this in mind if there are any bee sting allergies in your family. Once planted, do not disturb Asclepias, it has a deep taproot and does not transplant well. However, if left undisturbed, it is long lived.
Provide full sun. Any soil will do. If aphids are a problem, try washing them off with a strong blast of water.
Height: 2' - 2 1/2'
Spread: 2'
Zones: 4 to 9
