Butterflies for Free
Having milkweed in your garden practically ensures
that a flutter will follow.

by L. Patricia Kite

■

Throughout its stages as a caterpillar and colorful, winged creature, the monarch butterfly eats only one thing: milkweed. Finding a species of milkweed that will thrive in your garden should not be difficult, as about 100 are native to North America.

One of the most common in home gardens is the butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), which has clear sap and orange or yellow flowers. Alternate names for it

include wind root, orange milkweed, and Indian posy. It prefers good drainage and little water in summer. Swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), with white or pink flowers, needs plenty of moisture—as its name implies.

Blood flower (A. curassavica), which sends up orange and yellow flowers, is native to South America but can be grown as an annual in temperate regions. Other species found on that continent include