AsclepiasTuberosaButterflyMilkweed.jpg

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

from $8.99

Botanical name: Asclepias tuberosa‍ • Bloom season: Summer • Bloom color: Vivid orange Host plant (elsewhere in North America): queen, monarch


Flat-topped clusters of vivid orange over narrow leaves, on a plant that stays compact and upright without staking. It is the brightest thing in the summer catalog and the one that stops people in the aisle. Unlike its relatives, it carries clear sap rather than milky sap. Monarchs use it as a host across its range, though it is not native to Nevada.

Botanical name: Asclepias tuberosa‍ • Bloom season: Summer • Bloom color: Vivid orange Host plant (elsewhere in North America): queen, monarch


Flat-topped clusters of vivid orange over narrow leaves, on a plant that stays compact and upright without staking. It is the brightest thing in the summer catalog and the one that stops people in the aisle. Unlike its relatives, it carries clear sap rather than milky sap. Monarchs use it as a host across its range, though it is not native to Nevada.

Size:

Plant Characteristics

Botanical Name: Asclepias tuberosa

Cultivar: None (straight species)

Common Name: Butterfly Milkweed

Native: Native

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Low

Bloom Time: Summer

Bloom Color: Vivid orange

Pollinators: Bees; Butterflies

Deer Resistant: Yes

Mature Size: W 1'-1.5' x H 1'-2.5'

Soil: Sharply drained; lean, sandy soil

Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial

USDA Zones: 3 to 9

Spread Habit: Clumping; deep taproot

Available As: Live plant

Native Region: Eastern & Central N.A.; Arizona-New Mexico Mountains (SW edge)

Host Plant (Elsewhere in North America): queen, monarch

Growing Notes

Full sun and sharply drained, lean, sandy ground. The deep taproot is the whole story with this plant: it makes it exceptionally drought-tough once established and it means the plant strongly dislikes being moved, so choose the spot and leave it there. Space about 15 inches apart. Do not amend the hole.

  • Water: Low

  • Sun: Full Sun

  • Soil: Sharply drained; lean, sandy soil, deep taproot dislikes being moved

  • Mature size: W 1'-1.5' x H 1'-2.5'

Maintenance

Leave stems standing through winter and cut back in late spring, keeping about a third. It is the last perennial in the garden to emerge, often not showing until late May, so mark the spot to avoid digging it up while it looks like bare ground. Never use systemic insecticide on it. Do not divide; best grown from seed.