Butterfly Weed starting to put on a good show in the garden

Pollinator requesting clearance to land on runway Butterfly Weed

Edit: Putting the missing "f" in Butterfly Weed.

Beautiful. That's a weed?

(07-01-2012, 10:28 AM)freddy Wrote: Beautiful. That's a weed?

Hi Freddy

Butterfly Weed is just its common name (sorry if that's stating the obvious), as far as I'm aware the "Weed" part has nothing to do with what most people think of when they think weed.

That said a weed can be considered any plant that is growing where you don't want...

Asclepias tuberosa is "Butterfly Weed's" Latin name.

Take care, Mike

Dagnabit!

I should have posted a picture of the Japanese Lilac in bloom this year! It was spectacular both with scent and sight. Large clumps of tiny flowers covered the plant and the sweet scent was everywhere you went outside. The scent is intoxicating when it's in bloom. Unfortunately, it's mostly over and the blooms have dropped. It's an incredible tree/shrub, whatever it is. Ours is maybe 15-20' high now - just a guess.

Believe it or not, the blooms attract beetles of all things. Some sorts of bees or wasps also. I've never seen other pollenators.

Edit: Here's a picture of it today. Not quite in it's full glory, but go outside and the scent is still fairly strong.

(07-01-2012, 01:07 PM)ShadowsDad Wrote: Dagnabit!

I should have posted a picture of the Japanese Lilac in bloom this year!

Hi Brian

Yes, you should have

Lilac's can be absolutely stunning, no question about it...

Do you think this, Syringa reticulata (Japanese tree lilac), could be the one you have?

Take care, Mike

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(07-01-2012, 01:07 PM)ShadowsDad Wrote: Edit: Here's a picture of it today. Not quite in it's full glory, but go outside and the scent is still fairly strong.

Hi Brian

You can see some die-back in the flowers, but it's still a beautiful looking (large) shrub, (small) tree

Take care, Mike

Edit: Fixed "smilies" code.

Very nice garden/landscape you have there Mike.

Yes Mike that's the one! It's one show is when it's in bloom other than that, it's just there. No autumn leaves worth looking at, they're just dead leaves.

But the scent is superb! Maybe I need some privet hedge or just plant some of the seeds we took from the JL.

BTW, I don't know if the seeds will grow, but would you want some? We don't remove the seed heads. we let the plant make the seeds. If you'd like some just remind me in a few months and I'll collect a bunch.

Nice colour, Mike.

That is a beautiful looking specimen, Mike.

(07-01-2012, 09:44 PM)ShadowsDad Wrote: Yes Mike that's the one! It's one show is when it's in bloom other than that, it's just there. No autumn leaves worth looking at, they're just dead leaves.

But the scent is superb! Maybe I need some privet hedge or just plant some of the seeds we took from the JL.

BTW, I don't know if the seeds will grow, but would you want some? We don't remove the seed heads. we let the plant make the seeds. If you'd like some just remind me in a few months and I'll collect a bunch.

Hi Brian

Personally I think they are a bit like most Magnolia trees in that regard, absolutely stunning when in flower, but nothing special to look at during the remainder of the year.

For what it's worth I think Lilac's can make some pretty nice looking boundary line planting...

I would love to take some seeds off your hands and have a go at germinating the seeds. Please let me know if I should PM you my mailing address.

Take care, Mike

(07-02-2012, 10:29 AM)mikeperry Wrote:

(07-01-2012, 09:44 PM)ShadowsDad Wrote: Yes Mike that's the one! It's one show is when it's in bloom other than that, it's just there. No autumn leaves worth looking at, they're just dead leaves.

But the scent is superb! Maybe I need some privet hedge or just plant some of the seeds we took from the JL.

BTW, I don't know if the seeds will grow, but would you want some? We don't remove the seed heads. we let the plant make the seeds. If you'd like some just remind me in a few months and I'll collect a bunch.

Hi Brian

Personally I think they are a bit like most Magnolia trees in that regard, absolutely stunning when in flower, but nothing special to look at during the remainder of the year.

For what it's worth I think Lilac's can make some pretty nice looking boundary line planting...

I would love to take some seeds off your hands and have a go at germinating the seeds. Please let me know if I should PM you my mailing address.

Take care, Mike

Not yet, I'll just misplace it in the stack. But remind me in August/September, and maybe with 2 of us trying to remember it it'll work. I never tried planting the seeds to see what happens with them. They may be mules, I don't know, but we can find out. OK?

I do have some older seeds from it, but I'll send this years seeds just to make sure it's not age, just in case they don't germinate.

(07-02-2012, 07:29 PM)ShadowsDad Wrote: Not yet, I'll just misplace it in the stack. But remind me in August/September, and maybe with 2 of us trying to remember it it'll work. I never tried planting the seeds to see what happens with them. They may be mules, I don't know, but we can find out. OK?

I do have some older seeds from it, but I'll send this years seeds just to make sure it's not age, just in case they don't germinate.

Hi Brian

Ok! I will make a note to get back in contact with about the seeds in late August, early September...

Yesterday I read up on germinating Lilac tree seeds, seems pretty standard ie The seeds need to go through a cooling period (either buried in the ground over Winter or placed in a fridge).

Take care, Mike

I don't know what the lilac is like on your side of the pond, but over here they grow like fun. We have removed one to make way for an acer, and the seedlings / shotes from root system are still coming up all over the shop. I do agree that they are lovely plants; we just don't have the space for them really.

Apparently the bees don't love them as much as you'd expect, but the scent is great for us mammals.

Beautiful looking plant and great photos too.
I miss not having a garden.

(07-02-2012, 07:29 PM)ShadowsDad Wrote: Not yet, I'll just misplace it in the stack. But remind me in August/September, and maybe with 2 of us trying to remember it it'll work. I never tried planting the seeds to see what happens with them. They may be mules, I don't know, but we can find out. OK?

I do have some older seeds from it, but I'll send this years seeds just to make sure it's not age, just in case they don't germinate.

Hi Brian

Today my Google Calendar reminded me to remind you

If the offer of some Lilac seeds is still on the table, I will PM you my address and can pay for postage via PayPal.

Take care, Mike

tomorrow my lady and I will be trimming the heck out of a few butterfly bushes the previous owner planted at our house. next spring, we'll likely be removing two of them entirely so we have some room for a better garden and a shed.

(09-02-2012, 10:21 PM)andrewjs18 Wrote: tomorrow my lady and I will be trimming the heck out of a few butterfly bushes the previous owner planted at our house. next spring, we'll likely be removing two of them entirely so we have some room for a better garden and a shed.

Hi Andrew

Generally speaking it's best not to prune back plants this time of year (unless you live in a climate that doesn't drop below ≈45°F), pruning encourages new growth and if a cold snap hits before the new growth "hardens" off it can be killed, plus possible further damage can be inflicted onto the plant...

IMHO it would be better to wait until early/mid winter, by that time the plant will have died back naturally and entered a "dormant" state, then go out and remove everything from above ground you want to remove.

All that said, butterfly bushes are pretty bullet proof (tough as old boots), therefore if you really had to prune back at this time of year you could take the risk and possibly get away with it.

Take care, Mike