One excellent group of plants that no butterfly garden should do without are the milkweeds (Asclepias). When planted together, milkweed species such as butterfly weed (A. tuberosa), common milkweed (A. syriaca), and swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) create a continuous display of wonderful pink or orange flowers that are highly attractive to several species of butterflies from June into September. Moreover, along with the floral show, you get brand new butterflies. The monarch (Danaus plexippus) is the best-known milkweed specialist, but at least 11 other species of Lepidoptera reproduce on
...more
