Asclepias

Asclepias tuberosa, the butterflyweed, is a native perennial of outstanding ornamental and ecological importance for Martha's Vineyard's driest, sandiest, most sun-exposed garden and meadow positions, thriving in exactly the conditions that defeat most conventional border plants. Its deep taproot anchors it firmly in loose, wind-eroded coastal soils and provides access to moisture during the summer drought periods that regularly challenge island growing conditions. The brilliant orange flower clusters from June through August are magnets for monarch butterflies, which rely on the genus as the sole larval host plant during their late-summer staging along the Vineyard's coastal migration corridor.

Deer largely avoid Asclepias tuberosa due to its milky, mildly toxic sap. Estate Care professionals cut stalks back in late winter and leave seedheads standing through autumn and winter to support overwintering insects and provide structural interest in the winter landscape.