Plant of the Week: Showy Milkweed

 Photo from Wikipedia by author Vicki Watkins

With the rain sidelining my outdoor activities, the world wide web has been my garden outlet and I'm obsessing over Asclepias speciosa, or Showy Milkweed right now.   Full disclosure is that I've tried this plant twice and both times it died in defiance of my wish for clouds of happy butterflies.  I haven't lost faith- I'm planning on buying a few for the front garden and I'll report back on what happens. 

Asclepias is a tuber that shrinks back after it blooms, but can leave fiberglass-like stalks that the birds like to use for nest-making (or at least that's what Las Pilitas says).  When it blooms, a bevy of insects stampede the garden to enjoy its nectar.  Monarch butterfly larvae gobble up the foliage, as the poisonous leaves that they ingest help protect them from predators.  It's not unusual to find their turquoise and gold-dotted chrysalis' hanging from a stem. 

Soil:  Well-drained, but the key is no summer water.  This plant can't be mixed with water loving exotics.
Sun:  Full sun, although the photo above was taken at the base of a north-facing hill in the Trinity Alps.
Plant:  When it's dormant, perhaps when the first rains start.
Buy it:  Native Here Nursery carries a relative- Asclepias fascicularis, Annie's carries speciosa.  The link above to Las Pilitas shows that they carry them at the nursery, but not for the online store.  Hmmm.
Good for:  a must for the habitat garden, deer resistant gardens, dry cottage gardens (so romantic paired with Lupines and white CA poppies!), gardeners that don't like to water

The Butterflies of Trinity Alps

Wouldn't that make an entertaining reality show? Gobs of butterflies fluttered away last weekend- congregating at the base of a shallow stream bed, flocking the blooming asclepias, flying by your head just to say hello. It felt like being in the Butterfly Pavilion at the Conservatory of Flowers, only for real!

I'm pretty sure this lovely is a California Sister, or Adelpha bredowi. According to my extremely helpful "California Insects" book, the larvae feed on oaks and are found in "the foothills and middle elevations of mountains throughout the state."


Here's an Acmon blue, or Plebejus acmon. How sweet!

I think these are Lorquin's Admirals. Well, I certainly admire them! They were resting in groups at the base of a creek and would flutter about when someone walked by (or attempted to take a photo for that matter!). How does Vanessa cardui do it?!


And now I've saved the best for last. As we left the campsite, I asked the boys, "can we please please puh-lease stop at the asclepias patch on the side of the road?" They actually complied (gladly!) and we came upon a butterfly city! No Monarchs, which is what I expected, but many Western Tiger Swallowtails. They were so big, they looked like beautiful flying monsters of the sky!


Here's what I think is a Common Hairstreak, or Stymon melinus hanging out with a happy beetle. Look at her tails! I can't wait to plant some asclepias of my own so I can stake out all the amazing pollinators with my camera! Anyone have asclepias planting advice? I've never had much luck (despite following the strict 'no summer water' rules)