Asclepias tuberosa is a species of milkweed native to eastern North America. It is a perennial plant growing to 0.3-1 m (1 -3 feet) tall, with clustered orange or yellow flowers from early summer to early fall. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, 5-12 cm long and 2-3 cm broad.
This plant favors dry, sand or gravel soil, but has also been reported on stream margins. It requires full sun.
It is commonly known as Butterfly Weed because of the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. It is also the larval food plant of the Queen and Monarch butterflies.
I have several plantings of this in one of my large landscape beds. The striking orange color is an awesome contrast. I have one large plant in front of one of my deep purple butterfly bushes and I have butterflies fluttering around all summer. It is quite a sight!
Russian Sage is a great addition to any perennial garden. Russian sage is a deciduous semi-woody subshrub with upright, grayish white stems and lobed, silvery gray leaves to 2 in (5 cm) long and 1 in (2.5 cm) wide. Older stems are woody at the base, and younger stems are herbaceous and square in cross section. The stems and leaves give off a pungent odor when crushed or bruised. In late summer and autumn Russian sage produces 12 in (30.5 cm) spires of small, tubular lavender flowers. Flowering persists for two or three months. Russian sage grows in a clump, 3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m) tall with a spread of two or three feet, and sometimes falls over, especially if not positioned in full sun. This perennial is very easy to grow and requires little maintenance. I like to mix this in with roses and cone flowers in shades of pink. The colors jump out and it is a beautiful display. I have also used sprigs in cut flower arrangements. Even if it is not flowering the whitish, gray stem color provides wonderful contrast.
