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Asclepias tuberosa

Native Plants

Butterfly Weed

3 Photos


Summary

Butterfly weed 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. It is one of many Asclepias species, all of which are required food for monarch butterfly larvae. It is also a great nectar plant for other butterflies and insects. Butterfly weed works well in a meadow or a perennial garden setting with Andropogon virginicus, Schizachyrium scoparium, Echinacea purpurea, Coreopsis verticillata, and Solidago odora.


More Details

  • Plant Type
    perennial 
  • 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