Butterfly weed is the native orange milkweed of Southern roadsides, carrying flat clusters of bright orange flowers on 2 foot stems in early and midsummer. It draws butterflies of all kinds and is the host plant for monarch caterpillars, so expect some nibbled leaves and count that as success.

Give it full sun and lean, well-drained soil; it grows happily in dry, rocky spots where fussier perennials fail. The deep taproot makes it very drought tolerant but hard to move, so pick its spot once. It is slow to emerge in spring, so mark the location.