Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Bright-orange flowers bloom in large, flat-topped clusters on this bushy perennial, growing from 1 1/2 to 2 feet high. The leaves are alternate, 2 1/4-2 1/2 inches long, pointed, and smooth on the edges. The stems of flowering plants have yellow-orange to bright orange flower clusters, 2-5 inches in diameter. An abundance of stiff, lance-shaped foliage frames the showy flowers in dark green.
Butterflies are drawn to its bright flowers. Pleurisy Root was Butterfly Weed's other common name since the Native Americans chewed its tough root to treat pleurisy and other pulmonary ailments. Despite its name, Orange Milkweed does not have milky sap.
Butterfly Host Plant: Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Height: 1’-2’
Spread: 1’-1.5’
Bloom: June-September
Light: Full Sun
Water: Low, Medium
Zone: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Origin: Texas, United States