March 1, 2017
Butterfly weed is the 2017 Perennial Plant of the Year.
Butterfly weed named Perennial Plant of the Year
The Perennial Plant Association has selected Asclepias tuberosa the 2017 Perennial Plant of the Year. “With all the buzz about bees and butterflies, why not celebrate an excellent plant known for its ability to support insects and birds and serve as the primary caterpillar food for a beloved North American native butterfly?” the association said.
Commonly known as butterfly weed, the long-lived perennial is native to Ontario and Quebec as well as much of the Continental U.S. With vibrant orange, red and yellow flowers that seem to jump out, butterfly weed is a great addition to a sunny garden with average to dry soils. As the common name suggests, these plants are butterfly magnets. Butterfly weed is a member of Apocynaceae, or milkweed family, including plants with a milky sap poisonous to most insects.