A Beautiful Roadside Wildflower with Weed in its name

[Don in SJ]

Many years ago I transplanted this plant and it has continued to come up next to my rain spout for over two decades. Some years are better than others and some years I actually get a seed pod on it (thinkin of Gypsy). The seed pods appear to be rather rare though.

The plant is a known as Butterfly Weed and the barren roadsides and unkempt old fields are where they seem to grow best.

Not sure of their range, whether CG has them in New England, Gypsy in the Upper Midwest, Wes in Tn and RR in Louisiana. But sure would like to know. CD might have them in NC.

Anyway, a beautiful flowering wildflower.

Don

 

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[TreasureTales]

That is a gorgeous plant. How nice that it has produced flowers for your enjoyment all these years. It must like the location by the rain spout. Nice picture, thank you for posting it.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Yes we have them....they seem to do best in gravel or sandy areas......Beautiful

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Honestly Don I have never seen one before, so I'd have to say no. If I had seen one I would have dug it up and brought it home too. It's a lovely flower and would make a great addition to any garden. What zone are you in (planting zone) I'm zone 5.

 

[Don in SJ]

CG, I'm in zone 6, but because I am in the pine barrens region, sometimes we are really a zone 5 climate for low temps in spring and fall.
However, the Butterfly weed range appears to be the entire Northeast area to some degree.
I read where the seeds take up to two years to produce, I did dig mine up so I am not sure how hard to start from seed one would be. I have seen them advertised I believe from nurseries.

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/BackyardBiology/PlantoftheMonth/butterflyweed.cfm

Don

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Thaks for the link Don, I'm gonna get me some of those, I think they will go well with the tiger lilly's .

 

[CarolinaDigs]

Beautiful pic Don > Yes we have them here in NC > I'd take a pic and show you mine but my farm workers sprayed Roundup on it

 

[wesfrye53]

Don, if we have them here I don't recall seeing any. If they like sandy areas then they avoid Middle Tennessee like the plague! If you can dig more than 24 inches and not hit solid rock around here, you are fortunate. The majority of our water and sewer lines are in rock trenches.

Great looking flower...send me 1 seed if you get a pod; I'll make a sandbox and plant it there

 

[River Rat]

Oh, it's beautiful. I never seen anything like it here. I have transfered many a wild flower to my gardens. Lantana, a great garden flower...is considered road side trash in Hawaii...something I read in Birds & Blooms.

RR