Tropical Asclepias

Tropical Asclepias

Monarch caterpillars were crowd pleasers at Field Day this year

If you have a pollinator program, or you want to build a butterfly garden, you need to buy tropical Asclepias. For proof, we go no further than the Butterfly Bed we build for Field Day. Our garden tours bunched up when we passed it, and all the cameras whipped out. We had trouble pulling the crowd down to discuss the next garden.

A better butterfly magnet than the traditional tuberosa, Tropical Asclepias have a high fun factor. The artful blooms became a personal favorite of the office staff, and we were impressed how the buyers reacted to them. As a result, we are offering three cultivars next year. Let’s take a look at these unusual plants.

Asclepias ‘Silky Gold’ with delicate scaffolds under the origami-like flowers

‘Perfume Blue’

We’ve added two varieties to our flowering tobacco collection: ‘Perfume Blue’ and ‘Perfume White’. They complement our beautiful ‘Perfume Deep Purple’. All three can be used together for patio pots that sweeten the night air with a relaxing fragrance.

‘Perfume White’

Nicotiana is a popular low-maintenance bedding plant for summer. It thrives in the heat and humidity, with lots of star-shaped blooms that are upward facing. We like to use it in window boxes to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

‘Perfume Blue’, ‘Perfume White’, and ‘Perfume Deep Purple’ are available in the 6-inch pot.

Dappled effect of French Marigold ‘Fireball’

Currently the dappled effect is popular in mixes but you can get it here all in one plant. At any given time there are three shades of orange on our French Marigold ‘Fireball’. New blooms are dark orange and gradually fade to medium, then light orange as they mature. The plant blooms continuously, which means all the colors are always visible.

French Marigold ‘Fireball’ is available in the 1801L flat.