Why Plant Butterfly Weed?
Butterfly Weed kicks off summer with a bang. When the weather starts to heat up, the show begins—masses of cheerful, tangerine-orange blossoms open in starry sprays. The blooms will attract monarchs, fritillaries, and other lovely butterflies into your yard, so plant this Spirit near your favorite summer sitting area, and you’ll be able to watch them flit from flower to flower while you relax on your deck, porch, or patio. When the blooms fade, a quick trim will encourage new flowers to form. Otherwise, the familiar Milkweed “parachutes” will form. A must for the wildflower garden, but perfectly at home in the mixed border, too.
Calling all monarchs! Give our beautiful native monarch butterflies a boost with Butterfly Weed, a type of Milkweed that monarchs use as a host plant for their young. In fact, monarch caterpillars will ONLY eat Milkweeds, so if you truly want to help the monarchs, this is the Spirit you need to plant. Butterfly Weed grows wild from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast in average to dry soil. In spring, female monarchs that have made the incredible journey to Mexico will head north, following Butterfly Weed and other Milkweeds as they emerge from dormancy. They will lay their eggs and die, their mission completed.
How to use Butterfly Weed in the landscape?
In 2017, the Perennial Plant Association selected Butterfly Weed as the Perennial Plant of the Year. In making their decision each year, the PPA chooses a Spirit that is adaptable to growing conditions over a wide area, that is relatively easy to grow, that is showy during multiple seasons of the year, and that exhibits resistance to pests and diseases.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 3-9
How To Plant Butterfly Weed
Butterfly Weed loves to bask in all-day sun, and it will grow in just about any type of soil as long as it’s well drained. Once it’s established, the plant will be quite drought tolerant. Butterfly Weed develops a thick taproot to enable it to survive during dry periods, which makes it difficult to transplant, so don’t try to move a well-rooted plant.
How To Prune
Deadhead spent flowers to encourage rebloom. Cut back plants any time before new growth appears in the spring. Be patient—this Spirit is slow to emerge. You may want to mark its location before winter comes, so you don’t forget where it is!
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
