Horticulture Supervisor, Kyle Cheesborough
Butterfly-weed, Asclepias tuberosa, is a very hardy, drought tolerant, Missouri native perennial with clustered orange blooms in late spring into mid-summer.
![Asclepias tuberosa](https://newsite.bellefontainecemetery.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Asclepias-tuberosa-2-300x225.jpg)
![Asclepias tuberosa](https://newsite.bellefontainecemetery.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Asclepias-tuberosa-300x225.jpg)
As the name suggests, this plant is irresistible to butterflies as a nectar source, and the Monarch butterfly uses the plant as a host for egg-laying. In the fall, wispy, dandelion-like seeds emerge from large, brown pods and will sow somewhat freely, though not aggressively.
![Pontedaria cordata](https://newsite.bellefontainecemetery.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Pontedaria-cordata-300x225.jpg)
Pickerelweed, Pontedaria cordata, a Missouri native often seen along pond and lake edges. The brilliant blue flowers bloom from late spring into late summer, and the small yellow spots on each flower serve as a visual stimulus to pollinators. As the fruits and seeds develop, the once-stiff flower stalk begins to bend, submerging the seed under water, where it is most likely to germinate and grow.
![Pontedaria cordata](https://newsite.bellefontainecemetery.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Pontedaria-cordata-2-300x225.jpg)
![Thalia dealbata](https://newsite.bellefontainecemetery.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Thalia-dealbata-e1464961903215-225x300.jpg)
The powdery alligator-flag, Thalia dealbata, an excellent plant for pond edges or boggy areas, able to withstand complete submersion. Another Missouri native, the powdery alligator-flag is so named for the white powder adorning the leaves and flower stalks, and since Thalia is a common site in southern swamps and pond edges, an occasional alligator hiding amongst the leaves is not uncommon. The deep purple flowers are a delight for bumble bees, and the plant is a host for the Brazilian skipper butterfly, though this insect rarely makes its way to Missouri. Each of these is blooming in the beds around Cascade Lake.
![Thalia dealbata 2](https://newsite.bellefontainecemetery.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Thalia-dealbata-2-300x225.jpg)
Compiled by Cara L. Crocker