Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Photo by Martha Moss
Summary
With its compact habit, vivid orange flowers and magnetic appeal for pollinators, butterfly weed is a popular favorite for all types of gardens. Like all species of Asclepias, it’s one of the larval host plants for the monarch butterfly. This species doesn’t transplant well, due to its deep taproot, and prefers sunny areas with loose, well-drained soil. Because of this long tap root, it can be slow to emerge in the spring, but be patient! In the right location, you’ll soon be rewarded with abundant blooms and pollinator visitors.
More Details
FAMILY
Apocynaceae (Dogbane)
BLOOM TIME
July-August
FLOWER
Yellow, Red-orange
MATURE SIZE
1-3 feet
LIGHT REQUIREMENT
Sun
SOIL CONDITIONS
Average - Dry
NATIVE STATUS
PA Native
Ecosystem Connections
Many bee, wasp, butterfly and beetle species visit butterfly milkweed for nectar. These insects grasp or prop themselves one of the five flower hoods, sliding their tongues down the side of the hood to access nectar. Their legs may slip into the slots between these hoods, and may become entangled with pollen sacs (pollinia). These sacs are then transported to other milkweed flowers, where the process can be repeated, causing cross-pollination to occur.
Monarch butterflies are specialists of milkweeds, and their caterpillars, along with milkweed leaf beetles, feed on the flowers and foliage. Milkweed is the larval host for the monarch butterfly and milkweed tussock moth.