The Perennial Plant Association recently named Asclepias tuberosa as the 2017 Perennial of the Year. With the plight of the monarch butterfly and the recent focus on pollinator health, this selection could not come at a more relevant time.

Once established, asclepias is known to be a hassle-free, long-lived perennial. It brightens the landscape for several months with its brilliant tangerine orange blooms. Butterfly weed produces lots of nectar and pollen, which is particularly attractive to the monarch butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other beneficial insects.