Do you have a catalog? Would you send me a catalog?

   Sorry, we do not publish a catalog. Our inventory of plants changes on a regular basis during the growing season (May thru October). The plant species we offer in May differs from what we offer in July, and what we offer in July is different from what we offer in October. Because our inventory changes from month to month, a printed catalog just would not work for our business.
   We update our web pages on a regular basis during our growing season so that it accurately reflects what we have available for immediate shipping. We remove plant listings as they near the sold out status and add others as they become ready for shipping.
   Our web site functions as our catalog. If you like our web site and might like to place an order sometime (or just revisit for any reason), please bookmark it.

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When and how should I prune my butterfly bush ?

   We suggest cutting butterfly bushes back to about 4 feet high for the winter (so that heavy winter snow won't crush the bush to the ground). And don't cut the butterfly bushes back too early; November is our recommendation.
   Depending upon the severity of winter, your butterfly bush may appear dead in spring. Don't despair. Even when a butterfly bush doesn't develop leaf buds on the previous year's branches, it will usually sprout new growth from the root system. Be patient though. It might be late May before your butterfly bush shows signs of new growth.
   In early June, cut off any branches which died over the winter. This is also a good time to trim the butterfly bush to the shape you'd like it to be.
   During its blooming period, usually mid July through September, you might deadhead (remove spend flowers) every two weeks or so. This assures that the bush will put its energy into producing more flowers rather than seed.

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What zone do I live in ?

To determine the zone you live in, you must look at a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Often you will find these maps in seed, bulb, and perennial plant catalogs. We have included a plant hardiness zone map on our web site too. You can view it by clicking here on USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.    Please be patient while the picture downloads.

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Why do you only ship plants to 17 states? Why can't you ship plants to the state I live in?

   The U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the plant health agencies in each of the 50 states, regulate the interstate shipment of nursery and greenhouse stock. The regulations exist to minimize the spread of harmful insects, diseases, and other pests from one state to another.
   By shipping plants bare root, a grower is permitted to ship to many more states than a grower who ships plants in soil. This is because soil can harbor numerous insects and diseases which do not occur above the soil line. Shipping plants in soil, as we do, dramatically decreases the number of states to which we can ship.
   While we regret that we cannot ship to most states in the USA, we feel confident that what we do ship will arrive at its destination  in good condition because it is shipped in soil, the same soil the plants have been growing in for months.
   We would like to expand the territory to which we can ship plants but we can't. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the plant health agencies in each state, for good reason, forbids that.
   We are able to ship plants to these states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
     

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How is milkweed essential for the existance of the monarch butterfly?

Adult monarchs (and many other butterfly species) love nectar-rich milkweed as a food source, but there is a more important reason for the monarch's close attachment to milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant material that monarch caterpillars can eat. Remove monarch caterpillars from milkweed and they will starve; or they will eat other plant material, sicken, and then die. The scientific name for milkweed is Asclepias (pronounced as-KLEE-pea-us). Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed, pictured here), is well known to most northeasterners. It grows along roadsides, in fields, and  in open meadows. Producing sweet smelling mauve-pink flowers  late June through July, common milkweed usually matures at about 48" high. Some people assume common milkweed to be the only milkweed species which exists.  Actually, over 100 species of Asclepias grow in the USA, with over 200 different species growing worldwide.
   Common milkweed is not the only Asclepias species which can be utilized as a food source for the monarch caterpillar. In reality, any Asclepias serves the purpose, although some species lure more egg-laying female monarchs than others.
   Among the Asclepias species highly utilized by female monarchs for egg-laying are Asclepias curassavica (tropical milkweed) and Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed).  We offer both these species on our 'Milkweed' page.

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What's this critter that looks somewhat like a hummingbird but isn't a hummingbird ?

This is a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. It belongs to the family of sphinx moths, which are daylight fliers. Like most moths and butterflies, the hummingbird clearwing moth sips nectar through a coiled tube (proboscis) which extends from its mouth.  This moth has a wingspan of 1-1/2" to 2-1/2" and feeds in mid-air while beating its wings at a rapid rate (just like a hummingbird). A regular visitor to butterfly bushes, hummingbird clearwing moths also like the nectar of beebalm, phlox, lilac, thistle, and more.

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Copyright © 2002-2007.  [Rose Franklin's Perennials]. All rights reserved.
Revised: July 02, 2007