Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

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The perennial Butterfly Weed, as the name implies, is very attractive to Butterflies. It is a member of the Milkweed family which attract many Butterflies and Nectar-seeking Bees and Insects, and also host the Larvae of the Monarch Butterfly.

They may grow wild in your area, but dismiss any thought of transplanting it to your Garden. The tap root of a blooming plant is so deep as to make relocation practically impossible, and any injury to the root system seems to mandate its demise.

However, many catalogs list the Seed so the Plants can be added to your landscape to add their own beauty, and that of the visiting Butterflies. The Insert on the right shows the green Seed Pods which contain Seeds and their parachutic fluff similar to that of the Comon Milkweed.

Butterfly Weeds  seem to prefer soils with minimal moisture and nutrients. So find a well-drained location where not much seems to grow - like on a sunny Shale bank where they will send down their Tap Root to eke out their meager essentials.