Butterfly Attractor Seed Collection -- Medicinal Herbs

1. Pleurisy Root ____ Asclepius turbos ___ The root was very popular as a medicinal herb for the treatment of a range of lung diseases - thus the name Pleurisy Root - because it was considered especially useful as a respiratory cure or relief from pain when breathing, caused by pneumonia or other lung diseases. The Natchez people used tea from the boiled root to treat pneumonia.

2. Silky Formula - Asclepius carassavica ____ Also known as the Blood Flower, Showy Asclepius, Ipacak, like all Asclepias, have very deep taproots, so special care is needed in transplanting them. If you live in Zone 6 or below, they will need to be grown in pots, and brought into the house, garage or greenhouse for the winter months. Asclepias are butterfly feeders with their great nectar.

3. Echinacea - Purpurea___ The easiest Echinacea to grow. Vigorous plants with large, purple-petaled flowers. Fibrous roots are easy to harvest (other species have taproots). Excellent pollinator attractor and bloom for a long period of time during the summer months.

4. Verbascum nigrum - Dark Mullein - ‘Album’ - ‘White’___ Very striking almost continuously blooms, re-seeder, for continuous beauty. It has also been called the candlewick plant because the long fuzzy leaves were (and can be) cut into long strips, then dried to be used as the wicks for homemade candles. It was given to cattle to aid in cough and it is used in some countries (historically) to aid with pulmonary consumption.

5. Sage - Meadow Clary - Salvia pratensis___ Permaculturally, they are thought to repel the cabbage flies, carrot fly, black flea beetle, cabbage looper, cabbage maggot, repels many bean parasites, so is of great permacultural benefit to your beds as an insecticidal plant. Planting plants such as salvia amongst or near your veggie gardens has great benefits. The best part of this plant is that it does not stop blooming even if you forget to deadhead and the color is fantastic.

6. Rudbeckia hirta - Cherry Brandy___ Flowers are 3-4” across, strikingly colored, and produce all summer, even in poor soils. The petals are a shade from zingy cherry-red to deep maroon at the base. They withstand all kinds of unkind growing conditions and still reward you like a forgiving puppy with their bright smiling face. They also attract butterflies and bees. Leave the drumstick seed heads standing through the winter for the chickadees, and other seed eaters to perch upon for a winter's snack, and for beneficial bugs to live nestle down in.