‘Cheyenne Spirit’ was introduced in 2012 and has won top awards for garden performance. It comes in a mix of colors including gold, scarlet, orange, rose-red, cream, purple and yellow and all colors attracts birds and butterflies. Dead flower stems will remain erect well into the winter, and if flower heads are not removed, the blackened cones may be visited by goldfinches or other birds that feed on the seeds. Deer tolerant.

The leaves, blossoms, and seed pods are eaten by the Monarch butterfly. The blossoms are a host nectaring plant to all butterflies. The glycosides in the latex of native Butterfly Weed are not as toxic as other native milkweed species.

Tropical milkweed is grown in Maine as an annual and the leaves and blossoms provide food for late season Monarch caterpillars. It is non-native, and therefore not an ideal choice for growing in Maine butterfly gardens, but works well in a pot or planter on a deck if there is no space for a garden.

This is a Hummingbird favorite. It is a perennial in southern New England so it is grown as an annual in the Butterfly Garden. It has mint scented flowers and foliage, making it deer and rabbit resistant. It makes an excellent container plant because of its extended bloom time.