Asclepias tuberosa-Butterfly weed

Description

Can you believe that this species used to be found growing wild in Maine? Used to be is the operative term here; the Maine Natural Areas program considers this species as “apparently extirpated in Maine (historically occurring species for which habitat no longer exists).” I have read that this species was never terribly common to begin with, the final nail in the coffin was that it was coveted as a medicinal herb. It’s also known as pleurisy root and is/was used for ailments of the lungs including coughs, swelling of the lining of the lungs, swelling of the sir sacs of the lungs, and so on. You would never know it is a rare plant with how common it is in the horticultural trade; it’s not hard to find in catalogs and garden centers.

This plant is renowned for having aphid problems. I always see it being grown in rich garden soils, usually with excessive organic matter and thus water retention. The richer the soil the happier the plant, right?  Many years ago I was in Mattapoisett, MA, which is on the west side of the Cape Cod Canal. I stumbled across some butterfly weed growing trail side. I was delighted; I finally get to see this plant growing in its native haunts! (Which is always a goal of mine for every plant I grow). I was dumbstruck when I examined the soil it was growing in; there was a very thin layer of organic matter on the surface (like, 1/4 of an inch!) and below that was more or less pure sand! Boom. Case solved. It’s no wonder we have un-heathy plants, if this is what they grow in, in the wild. Long story short, let’s try giving these guys a really lean soil, and see how they do. Flowers in late July.

1 gallon pot size available