ASCLEPIAS tuberosa: Butterfly Weed

My son grew seedlings of this plant last year, along with native milkweed.
Last year, the BUTTERFLY WEED hardly grew, but this year there are two plants that are doing very well.  The flowers have been teasing me for over a week, but finally bloomed this morning.

I saw a Monarch & two other kinds of butterflies in my other garden bed, so maybe they were also waiting for the big day when it blooms.  My native milkweed, in the same bed, is not growing much.  I had hoped the Butterfly Weed would attract the Monarchs, who would lay eggs on the native milkweed.  Then, more Monarchs....

"The best-laid plans
of mice & men
often go awry."
- -Robert Burns