This Morning Outside

by Diane Porter

July 2, 2009
At Birdwatching Dot Com
Fairfield, Iowa

The butterfly weed sure does attract butterflies! Here a very worn fritillary may be getting one of its last meals, at the native wildflower of the prairies.

Butterfly weed (Asclepius tuberosa) is very easy to cultivate in the Midwest, where it is a native flower. Once established, it requires neither fertilizer nor supplementary water. And it is a natural food for butterflies and hummingbirds.