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Butterfly Weed for Clay

Asclepias tuberosa var. clay

More Detail

Plants 3" Pots Sold Out

1-4 $8.99 ea.

5-10 $7.99 ea.

11-31 $6.99 ea.

32+ $5.99 ea.

Availability: Sold out

SKU

31281-03

Cultural Details
Soil Type	Clay, Loam
Soil Moisture	Medium
Sun Exposure	Full Sun
Height	2'
Bloom Color	Orange
Bloom Time	June, July
Spacing	1'
Hardiness Zones	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Root Type	Taproot
Benefits	Butterflies, Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Host Plant, Deer Resistant

Description

A Prairie Nursery exclusive, this natural variation of Butterfly Weed originated on a clay prairie. Butterfly Weed for Clay can be grown in clay soils where the common strain of Asclepias tuberosa struggles. Recommended for planting only on upland sites, as it will not do well in poorly-drained soils. The long-lasting and bright orange flowers along with its low mounded profile make this the most popular of milkweeds.

True to its name, Butterfly Weed attracts legions of butterflies and is an important larval host for both the Monarch and Queen butterflies. A favorite prairie plant for all types of gardens, mature plants in an ideal location can become gorgeous specimens, with multiple flowering stems spreading across a 2' high plant. Older mature plants have a deep tap root that extends down a foot or more. They can be transplanted if dug carefully during dormancy.

Range Map

Present in state
Present in county and native
Present in county, but introduced
Not present in state

Present and rare, native in county
Previously present, now locally extinct
State or county listed as noxious
Present in state, exotic

Native plants can be grown outside of their native range in the appropriate growing conditions. This map shows the native range, as well as the introduced range, of this species.

Shipping

Plant Shipping

We ship plants in the spring, and in the fall – during our plant-shipping periods.
At this time, we have finished taking plant orders for fall 2022. Sign up for our emails to be notified when we start taking new orders, for spring 2023 shipping.
During checkout, you will choose a Shipping Week for your plant delivery (availability is filled on a first-come-first-serve basis). The shipping week that you choose will be included in your email order confirmation.
When your plants have shipped you will receive an email with tracking information.
Learn more about how we ship your plants …

General Information

We are not able to combine a new order with a previous order, for shipping.
Plants and Seeds are shipped separately and have different shipping rates.
With all orders, credit cards are pre-authorized and charged when your order is placed.
We are not able to arrange orders for pick-up at the Nursery. All orders are shipped.
Plants and Seeds are shipped to destinations within the contiguous United States, only.

Questions (3)

Product Questions

Do rabbits eat Butterfly Weed ? I have noticed that they do eat other milkweeds and I have to protect those plants when small.

Butterfly Weed is rabbit and deer resistant. It might not hurt to protect it as well as the others, just to be safe, but generally rabbits and deer do not like Butterfly Weed.

What care is best for the Butterfly Weed for Clay. Compost, mulch, time of year to trim, any watering?

Newly installed plants should be watered thoroughly. For the first few weeks in the ground, check them them daily, especially if the weather is starting to get hot, and water them as soon as the soil becomes dry. We do recommend mulching newly installed plants. Cover the area around your new transplants with 1-3 inches of mulch. This will insulate the plants and preserve valuable soil moisture while the plants become established. When mulching, leave a circle of bare soil, about 2 inches in diameter, around the stem of the plant so water can flow directly to the roots. (additional mulch is not usually needed after the plants are well-established.)

Butterfly weed plants do not need to be cut back or trimmed during the growing season. The leaves of Butterfly Weed provide food for the caterpillars of monarch butterflies. Adult female monarch butterflies will lay their eggs on the leaves after the blooms are spent, so it is important to Not cut-back the plants after flowering. In late fall you may desire to cut-back the plants. This will depend upon your gardening style. We recommend to leave your native plants standing through the winter, not only for the winter beauty of snow-covered plants, but because the spent plant material tends to attract more winter birds into the garden.

The following spring, before the ground soft, cutting-back the dead plant material may be desired. some people like to use the spent plant material as mulch, rather than purchasing mulch it creates a wasteless cycle that is healthy for the plants and the environment.

Butterfly Weed will typically grow very slowly during the first season but then have a big growth surge in it's second year.

Will these bloom in their first year?

Often there will be some flowering on the new transplants during the first summer, but it will not be a full display. A mature and well established Butterfly Weed plant begins blooming in early summer. What this means is that new spring transplants don't have quite enough time to get well established and fully bloom in their first summer. Butterfly Weed is a very long-lived plant. The display will increase with each year.

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