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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