Thursday, June 23, 2011

Indian Paintbrush, Deciduous Perennial Of The Day

Asclepias tuberosa
    Butterfly Weed,  Indian Paintbrush

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    3A to 9A
Height    18" to 30" / 45cm to 75cm
Spread    12" to 36" / 30cm to 90cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    Orange, red and yellow
Bloom Time    Summer

The flowers are showy, suitable for cut flowers and suitable for dried flowers.

Environment
This plant tolerates some drought and a little salt.
This plant will grow in dry to moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to neutral (less than 6.8 to 7.2) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
Seeds will be dispersed in late summer or early fall, and offsets will emerge in the fall at the base of the mother plant.  Asclepias has a large taproot, making it difficult to transplant.  This plant is so late to break dormancy in the spring, one might wonder if it made it through the winter.  If interested in crafts, the fresh flowers from this plant can be used to make yellow dye.   Plants serve provide nectar for butterflies and are hosts for butterfly larvae.

Plant with Solidago, Heliopsis, Helianthus and Penstemon.

Cut back during growth periods to encourage a fuller plant.

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