First Plantings: Cardinal Flower & Butterfly Milkweed

This weekend I put two new natives in the ground — my first intentional plantings for Heritage Hill Natives.

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and Orange Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) arrived as bare root plants, which always feels like an act of faith. Just roots and hope, really.

I chose these two for different reasons. The cardinal flower for the hummingbirds that visit our property every summer — that brilliant red is like a beacon for them. And the butterfly milkweed because, well, the name says it all. Monarchs need all the help they can get, and this bright orange native is exactly what they're looking for.

Bare root planting in late November isn't ideal timing, but sometimes you work with what arrives when it arrives. I soaked the roots, dug into our Georgia clay, amended with what I had on hand, and tucked them in. Now we wait.

Will they establish before winter really sets in? Will they come back strong in spring? I don't know yet. That's the experiment. That's the learning.

But they're in the ground now, and that's what matters.

What I'm watching for:

Any sign of new growth before dormancy

How they handle our winter wet spells

Spring emergence (fingers crossed)

Where I got them: Town Creek Nursery

Next steps: Mulch them well before the real cold hits, mark their spots so I don't accidentally dig them up in spring, and wait.