Asclepias 'Hello Yellow'

Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow': A Sunlit Welcome to the Garden

Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow', also known as 'Hello Yellow' Butterfly Weed, is a radiant perennial that lights up the garden with its cheerful, bright yellow blooms. A delightful variation of the native Butterfly Weed, this cultivar offers all the ecological benefits of its orange-flowered counterpart but with a sunny twist. Perfect for those looking to attract pollinators and add a burst of color to their landscape, 'Hello Yellow' is ideal for wildflower meadows, perennial borders, and as a vibrant focal point in pollinator-friendly gardens.

Product Characteristics:

• Height: This compact beauty reaches a height of 60-90 cm, making it an excellent choice for adding vertical interest and a splash of color to the middle or front of garden beds.
• Spread: With a spread of 30-60 cm, 'Hello Yellow' forms neat, manageable clumps that are dense enough to stand out yet integrate well with other plants in the garden.
• Flower Colour: The blooms are a luminous yellow, offering a bright and refreshing contrast to the green hues of the garden from early to mid-summer.
• Flowering Period: Blooming from June to August, 'Hello Yellow' ensures the garden remains vibrant and alive with color during the warmest months, attracting butterflies, bees, and other beneficial pollinators.
• Foliage: Its foliage is lanceolate and rich green, providing a lush backdrop that enhances the visibility of the yellow flowers and serves as a food source for monarch butterfly larvae.
• Sunlight Requirements: Prefers full sun, where it can enjoy the warmth and light necessary to produce the most vivid and abundant blooms.
• Soil Requirements: Adaptable to well-drained soil, 'Hello Yellow' is notably drought-tolerant once established, making it a resilient choice for a variety of garden conditions.

Uses and Benefits: Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow' is not just a beautiful addition to the garden; it's also an important plant for supporting biodiversity. Serving as a host plant for monarch butterflies, it plays a crucial role in the lifecycle of these beloved pollinators. Beyond its ecological value, its drought tolerance and deer resistance make it a low-maintenance and durable addition to the landscape.

Companion Plants: Pair with other native perennials like Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), and Blazing Star (Liatris spicata) for a dynamic, wildlife-attracting display. The bright yellow flowers of 'Hello Yellow' also beautifully complement the deep blues and purples of Salvia, Lavender, and Penstemon, creating a visually striking contrast.

Care Instructions: 'Hello Yellow' is delightfully low maintenance, requiring minimal care to thrive. Water regularly during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Once established, it becomes quite drought-resistant, needing only occasional watering. While deadheading can promote a tidier appearance and potentially encourage more blooms, allowing some seed pods to form can provide winter interest and seeds for propagation.

History: A cultivar of the native Asclepias tuberosa, 'Hello Yellow' was selected for its unique flower color and garden performance. It brings the traditional appeal of Butterfly Weed into a new light with its sunny yellow blooms, making it a favored choice for gardeners and pollinators alike.

Final Thoughts: Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow' offers a warm welcome to any garden visitor, be they human, butterfly, or bee. Its vibrant blooms and ecological benefits make it a standout choice for anyone looking to brighten their landscape while contributing to the health of the local ecosystem. Whether planted en masse, in mixed borders, or as a sunny specimen, 'Hello Yellow' is a beacon of joy and a testament to the beauty of native gardening.