Ron Wilson Plant of the Week
Plant it and they will come. Our plant of the week is Asclepias, the milkweeds (13 native species in Ohio including Clasping milkweed, Poke milkweed, Tall Green Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Purple Milkweed, Common Milkweed, 4 leafed Milkweed, Sullivant’s Milkweed, Butterfly Milkweed (orange and yellow), White Milkweed, Whorled Milkweed, Green flowered Milkweed, and Spider Milkweed – 100’s of species across the US). And ‘they’ would be the butterflies, namely the Monarch Butterfly. Today we feature Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed), and Asclepias incarnate ‘Cinderella (Swamp Milkweed).
Butterfly Weed offers 2-3 months of tangerine orange blooms (deadheading will encourage longer blooming) which are heavily laden with nectar and pollen. 24 inches tall / full sun / deer resistant / attracts bees, hummingbirds and Monarchs.
Swamp Milkweed ‘Cinderella’ has 2-3 months of rose pink vanilla scented flowers (deadhead for longer blooming) which are also laden with nectar and pollen. 3’ plus tall / full sun / enjoys a more evenly moist soil / deer resistant / attracts bees, hummers, and Monarchs.
Joe Strecker Plant of the Week
Knock Out Roses are easy to grow and don't require special care. Plant them individually among shrubs, annuals and perennials in mixed beds and borders. Plant them in large groups to create a colorful hedge or along a foundation to provide a bright border. For best performance, cut them back every year in early spring after the last threat of frost has passed.
• Low maintenance
• Blooms from spring to frost
• Full sun
• Zones: 5-11
• Size: 3-4' w x 3-4' h
• 10 great colors