Woods

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived" Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854)


"Judge every day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you sow." - Robert Louis Stevenson


Sunday, August 8, 2010

Plant Camp Monday's

You ever drive the country roads and notice different wild flowers? How about the one that really catches your eye. Its a bright red orange about a foot high. Its a butterfly weed.

Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa

From the milkweed family. Asclepias, is the host plant for Monarch butterflies
So its a must for the garden when you want butterflies and humming birds to visit. Plus adds a nice bright color to your gardens.

Well I'm pretty new at growing Butterfly weed. I have tried to transplant from along our roadside , it didn't take. But I was able to grow from seed. Its a very bright orange.



Did you know Butterfly Weed is edible and medicinal. Heres info on that.

http://www.altnature.com/gallery/Butterflyweed.htm

Heres a link to a lot of pic of butterfly weed
http://www.google.com/images?rlz=1T4TSHB_enUS312US313&q=butterfly+weed&um=1&ie=UTF

Now another type of plant that attracts butterflies is the Butterfly Bush, not to be mistaken for the butterfly weed. Two different types of plants but they sure attract the butterflies and hummers.

We went to a Butterfly Festival at Powell Gardens. Was I in for a surprise and a couple of new butterfly plants for my gardens. Plus seeing all the native and tropical butterflies.

A beautiful fragrant Butterfly Bush , Buddleia davidii



Grow this beautiful bush for Hummingbirds, Swallowtails

http://www.google.com/images?rlz=1T4TSHB_enUS312US313&q=purple+butterfly+bush&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=KF9fTPnhMcP6lwfoyPSZCA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CC0QsAQwAA
Great for cut flowers, can be used as a border plant or in containers. Considered mostly allergy free. Deer resistant. Blooms July all the way to fall. I'm so going to enjoy this plant.

This other plant I got is a Butterfly Weed plant , forgot the name and it did not have a label. I will need to go back and check this one out. Its a tall plant, 30" or so.



Well I like those butterfly attracting plants so these are a great add to the gardens.

Let me know how you like them in your gardens.

Have a wonderful week and thanks for dropping by the camp : )

tc linda

1 comment:

  1. We have lots of butterfly bush out here but I don't think I've ever seen the butterfly weed plant. I just love that bright orange color.

    ReplyDelete

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