Summary
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a colorful, long-lived, drought-tolerant perennial. Large clusters of bright orange to yellow-orange flowers top clumps of erect, hairy 1-2’ tall stems with lance-shaped leaves. The seed pods, with their long silky hairs, can be used in dried flower arrangements. Butterfly weed prefers well-drained neutral to alkaline soils and full sun. Asclepias species are the sole food source for Monarch butterfly larvae and are great nectar plants for other butterflies and insects as well. Butterfly weed works well in a meadow or a perennial garden setting with broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), whorled tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata), and sweet goldenrod (Solidago odora). Zones 3-9.
More Details
- Sun/Shade Conditions
full-sun - Foliage Character
deciduous - Soil Moisture
average, dry - Flowering Period
early-summer, mid-summer - Soil PH
adaptable - Flower Color
orange-salmon, yellow - Summer Foliage Color
green - Fall Foliage Color
green - Fruit/Seed Color
brown, tan
Additional Information
USDA Plants Database, Floridata, Illinois Wildflowers, Missouri Botanical Garden, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center