debhar Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 I found these in my field, I never saw them before, was curious what they are called. I would love to cultivate them and have more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsywannabe Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Looks like what my father used to call Indian Paint Brush. lavender? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bon Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I think it is Asclepiadaceae ---Butterfly Weed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Bon has got it. They have a long tap root and the bigger ones can't be moved very well. I've transplanted the the smaller ones from old strip mines. They seem to thrive in poor soil but need full sun. In the fall they will get a pod with seeds like milkweed. You can try planting them but don't look for them to germinate quickly. It can take a full year. It is kind of plant it and forget it. They come up very late in the spring but if you find a small one then you can probably transplant it. They come up as a straight grey-green shoot with the leaves folded up. Once they are established they last forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I have about 10 in the greenhouse and they will be looking for homes. Our last sale will be sometime in late July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheobe Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 As the name indicates - butterflies love them. If you like to take pictures - keep an eye on them and you may be able to see tiny little Monarch caterpillars. It's a great host plant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 If you like the look of the plant and the fact that it attracts butterflies but find that it is too finicky for your yard try this one. http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week019.shtml It is tropical butterfly weed. It is a perennial but is grown as an annual in the north because it is not winter hardy. I had a friend who grew it from seed one year. She says it germinates easily (the native one can be very erratic) and the coloring is even more beautiful than the native one. The outer petals are a true scarlet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheobe Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I tried a tropical variety a few years ago and it was beautiful. Right now I have a White Butterfly Weed blooming - it's in it's second year. It's not as striking as the orange variety and it doesn't seem to attract butterflies like the orange does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 But it is such fun to grow something really different, yes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheobe Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 It is fun - but I still like the orange the best. Maybe because I transplanted it from the wild. Have you ever started any from seed? Any success? I'd like to give it a try but I don't have a greenhouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 wow, thats a realy nice pix..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snellma Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Gorgeous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debhar Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 Thank You! I have many areas that can use a filler...type of plant, and I really like this one, The color..it's growing in my old pasture and yes in direct sun....I'm gonna try and transplant some now then seeds in the fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I believe I tried it once and the seeds did not germinate. They need to be chilled, I think, before they will germinate. The best way would probably be to put them in pots and sink the pots in the ground in the fall. As I said they are erratic in the amount of time they can take to germinate. It can be a couple of years. The woman who tends the butterfly bed at Parker Dam has been trying to get them to grow there for 3 or 4 years. I know she hasn't had any luck. They grow where they grow. I've had good luck transplanting them and they are a tough plant. Gotta run! Off to Lucinda to buy more plants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I just bought the seed packet and plopped them into starter cells this spring. I must have gotten the lucky packet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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