Prairie Gold Butterfly Weed

Asclepias tuberosa 'Prairie Gold' (Butterfly Weed) is an eye-catching form of the native wildflower. Many years ago, a customer generously sent Chief Horticulturist David Salman seeds collected from a population of the plants growing in the wilds of Indiana. After testing the plant in the High Country Gardens test gardens, David was able to produce enough seed to introduce ‘Prairie Gold’ into cultivation. The plant is adapted to both sandy and loam soil types (but no heavy clay), and is a medium-sized grower. Asclepias plants are the sole host plant of Monarch Butterflies – essential food for the survival of Monarch caterpillars. Its nectar rich flowers are highly attractive to butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. While its milky bitter milky sap helps build the natural defenses of Monarch butterflies, it also makes the plants resistant to deer. Recommended companion plants include Scutellaria, Penstemon, and native ornamental grasses like Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) and 'Blonde Ambition' Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua).