Butterfly Weed

[jrosto]

Last year I put in a native/perrienal garden in my front yard. All the plants are showing new growth except for my Butterfly Weed plants. Should they be up by now, or are they late to emerge?

Thanks

[sandih]

there are websites totally dedicated to Butterfly Weed. You might want to do a Yahoo search to find one. They are going to be the most knowledgeable....IF you don't get your answer here of course.

[Mr. Clean]

Mine did not (has not?) return :(

[jrosto]

Mine is still not up yet, all the other plants are coming in like gangbusters. The folks at Westin Gardens recommended that I wait just a bit longer before replacing those plants, but my patience is running out :lol:

[dtv]

I was considering them because they are perinnials (supposed to be, anyway) and are reported to bloom spring to fall.

I have had many problems with this? Is something going on in the nursery industry? Every year it seems more difficult to get perinnial, and annual, starts to survive.

I've also had NO luck with keeping Marigold alive. They look healthy and robust and just deline daily until they die. Any specifics on this would be appreciated. I'd like to have some mixed in my veggie garden.

I also had a lavendar and thyme plant croke. I was feeling jinxed, but I know think it's something with the plants.

[admin]

dtv wrote: I've also had NO luck with keeping Marigold alive. They look healthy and robust and just deline daily until they die. Any specifics on this would be appreciated. I'd like to have some mixed in my veggie garden.

I had the same problem in the past in my vegetable garden.....I plant primarily tomatoes and peppers, so as the veggie plants got bigger, they were blocking the marigolds from getting sun.....Since I started planting the marigolds further from the veggies, they do fine....Of course, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)........ :)

[dtv]

It's not a problem with lack of sun.
This is a problem I've been noticing for several years re: plant/ornamental starts. They just seem weaker.
I do all the right things- root stimulator, molasses, fish emulsion, etc.
I'm wondering if they are from weak seed and/or they are accustomed to heavy doses of chemical fertilizer and don't do well when taken off of it.

[Bluestem]

Measured my Butterfly weed today at 12 inches. It should have been a few inches high in early march. Comes back every year. Planted it from seed collected from the back 40.

[sweetscent]

My Asclepias (butterfly weed) seemed to be coming along well until about 3 wks ago, when we had that near-freeze. The littlelest leaves froze down, but as of tonite, it's really starting to take off. Of all my perennials, it seems to be the slowest to return. Don't give up yet, just plant something else to occupy your time & mind ( I find that a container full of new seeds keeps me occupied!! Am trying Convolvulus & four-o-clocks in large pots in the front yard.) Just a weather note--I'm over by TCU & gee whiz, is it WINDY!!! (Time-11:11 p.m., or 2311 hrs for all you mil time folks).

[jrosto]

I did break down and replace my Butterfly Weed last weekend.

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that they were finding it harder to start nursery plants. I purchase the majority of my plants from Redenta's, Westen gardens, and at the native plant sale in Arlington in the fall. I have had very good luck with these plants. I may have gotten the Butterfly Weed into the ground too late to develop a root system sufficient to last the winter.

An interesting note: I received good amount of pea sized hail in the last storm. Pretty much wiped out my cutting lettuce, tore up leaves and bruised the heck out of my other veggie plants. The hail did not seem to even faze my native plants. I thought my Winecups were in trouble as they had been smashed flat to the ground, but the next day they were up and had even more blooms than before. Kinda neat the way things work out :D