← Bedfellow

Butterfly Weed

Asclepias tuberosa

Also known as: Orange Milkweed

Critical host plant for monarch butterflies. Tap-rooted, dislikes transplanting once established. Young shoots and flower buds are cooked like other milkweeds — thoroughly, and in modest amounts, since raw plant material can cause GI upset.

Family

Apocynaceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

1–2.5 ft

Spacing

1–1.5 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

May, June, July, August, September

Bloom colors

orange, yellow

Wildlife value

butterflies, hummingbirds, larval host, monarch host, pollinators

Caterpillar hosts

~12 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

naturalizing, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV