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    • Photo of Asclepias tuberosa flower, form by Kristine Paulus

    Photo by Kristine Paulus

    This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

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    Asclepias tuberosa

    Also Known As

    • Butterfly Milkweed
    • Butterfly Weed
    • Pleurisy-Root
    • Silkwood

    Plant type

    perennial

    size

    • H: 24"-36"
    • W: 18"-24"

    planting zones

    • 3a-9b

    More Options

    Asclepias tuberosa plant details

    Asclepias tuberosa is a broadleaf deciduous perennial with green foliage. In fall and summer orange flowers emerge. Attracts bees and butterflies making it an excellent addition to pollinator gardens. Grows well with sun - mostly sun and even moisture - low water. Drought tolerant once established. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in alkaline, average, clay, gritty, rich and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant and humidity tolerant.

    CHARACTERISTICS OF Asclepias tuberosa

    Plant type: perennial
    Plant family: apocynaceae
    Foliage: deciduous green
    Mature size: 18 IN - 24 IN - wide, 24 IN - 36 IN - tall
    Flowers: orange blooms in fall and summer
    Uses: easy-to-grow, long-blooming, medicinal, self-sowing

    GROWING CONDITIONS for Asclepias tuberosa

    USDA Zones: 3a - 9b
    Sun exposure: sun - mostly sun
    Watering frequency: even moisture - low
    Resistant to: deer, heat and humidity
    Soil needs: alkaline, average, clay, gritty, rich and well-drained

    Nursery contributed plant descriptions

    This gorgeous perennial wildflower from the open woods, glades and fields of the southeastern United States is one of the brightest and most undemanding choices for a dry sunny garden spot. Radiant, bright-orange flowers sit atop 1-2' stalks from June to August. As a rich nectar source, the intricate blooms draw in many butterflies. Most importantly, Asclepias is the only larval food for the glorious Monarch butterfly; plant some in your garden, not only for the beauty but to help save our beautiful Monarchs. S/M-D/GDr

    By: Forestfarm

    Plant CANDY for your butterflies! This low, low care perennial emerges late (May or June!) and grows quickly to 3' tall and 1 ½' wide. A continuous parade of glowing orange flowers in dome shaped clusters decorate the stems summer and fall! Very drought tolerant, deer resistant…most soils. May reseed (the more the merrier!) We get numerous requests for this plant – we finally have it for you!

    By: Secret Garden Growers

    The butterfly weed is a bushy perennial with vivid orange, red and yellow flowers that bloom reliability throughout the summer months and sometimes into early autumn. It has an upright clump form with slender green leaves and flat-top clusters of flowers at the end of stems. Fruit forms after flowering.

    By: Noname Nursery

    Clusters of bright orange flowers bloom on this upright, shrubby plant. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Monarch butterflies depend on this plant for food. Good cut flower. Easily grown in any well-drained soil. Good in mixed borders, mass plantings or containers. Drought tolerant once established.

    By: Little Prince of Oregon

    Brilliant orange, late Summer blooms over attractive dark green foliage attracts Butterflies and other pollinators. 18-24" tall. Full sun to part shade.

    By: Sunshine Farm and Gardens

    A magnet for butterflies and other pollinating insects, this perennial plant has bright orange flowers that appear in mid-to-late summer, and the flowering season extends for many months. This US native is also known as pleurisy root and it has been used in herbal medicine to treat respiratory conditions dating back to Native American culture. It comes up late in the spring, after most other plants have emerged. It's good to mark the spot where it has gone dormant in the fall so as not to disturb the crown the following spring.

    By: Logee's Plants for Home & Garden

    This species erupts with brilliant orange flowers in midsummer followed by attractive green seed pods filled with silky "parachutes" that catch the autumn winds. Full sun, dry soil. Late to emerge in spring so be patient. Deer resistant.

    By: Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants Ltd.

    Beautify a dry sunny slope with this tough, drought-tolerant native. Intense orange flowers in mid to late summer attract many species of butterflies and are especially attractive to Monarchs. Occurs in dry fields and roadsides in most of the US. Slow to emerge in spring.

    By: Deer Country Gardens

    From seed; orange flowers

    By: Jockey Hill Nursery

    True to its name, Butterflyweed attracts legions of butterflies, and is an important larval food source for Monarchs. Look for their beautiful chrysalises on your plants! This rugged individual thrives in dry soil to well-drained loam. Makes a fantastic cut flower! Hardy to Zones 3 - 10.

    By: Prairie Nursery

    A must have plant if your tastes run to the bright colors. For us, tops out at about 18 inches, with masses of vivid orange flowers in late summer. The intense color of the flowers is always, for us, complimented by equally vivid monarch butterfly caterpillars and adults, as this is one of their favorite food plants. Best with good drainage and full sun, though it can take partial shade. Zone 5 ? Joseph

    By: Arrowhead Alpines

    Also known as Silkwood and Pleurisy-root, it was employed medicinally. The Native Americans of the Northeast called it "wound medicine"; they pulverized dried roots and dusted the powder into cuts with a turkey feather. Its range extends from the East to the Rocky Mountains in dry soils. The orange flowers cover the plant in midsummer to early fall, attracting butterflies in great numbers. Listed in an 1827 catalog.

    By: Select Seeds

    A tough, hardy North American perennial usually found in drier habitats accompanied by grasses. This selection has erect stems to 3' with red-orange flowers that attract butterflies. Blooms appear from late spring to the first frost and are followed by horned pods. Best grown in full sun with moderate garden water. Hardy to below 0 °F. Eastern North America.

    By: Native Sons

    A beautiful and durable native perennial that produces 2-6" clusters of orange-yellow, orange, to orange-red flowers. This taprooted clump-forming perennial may be found in flower from mid-spring to early fall. Butterflyweed is a durable, drought tolerant native that is considered by many to be an important Monarch and Queen butterfly host even though is does not have the milky sap of most milkweeds.Butterflyweed grows from a long tuber and should not be disturbed once established.

    By: Almost Eden

    A butterfly magnet, this is the bright orange form familiar in sandy meadows. Grows 2-3' tall. We had so many requests for this last year, we decided to offer it again. Plants remain dormant until mid May.

    By: Avant Gardens

    Great for a sunny spot getting to be a small mound 18" high and attracting butterflies and bees.

    By: Far Reaches Farm

    Prolific golden-orange blooms in summer blanket the top of this 2 x 2 ft perennial with roots in the Great Plains (believe it or not). Take care to not over water. Doesn't run.Minimum temperature: -20° F

    By: Dancing Oaks Nursery

    Gardening facts about Asclepias tuberosa plant

    How to Grow Asclepias tuberosa

    • Sun Exposure

      • sun - mostly sun

    • Water Needs

      • even moisture - drought tolerant

    • Soil Needs

      • clay
      • alkaline
      • adaptable
      • average
      • well-drained
      • rich
      • gritty

    • Special Situation

      • heat tolerant
      • humidity tolerant

    Features

    • Foliage Color

      • green

    • Flower Color

      • orange

    • Wildlife

      • bees
      • butterflies
      • deer resistant

    • Flower Season

      • fall
      • summer

    • Foliage Season

      • deciduous

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