Butterfly Milkweed

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

2 Feet

Mature Spread

1.5-2 Feet

Growing Zones

3 to 9

There are a lot of reasons to grow Butterfly Weed, above and beyond its vibrant orange flowers and drought-tolerance. This plant has become the poster child for saving the Monarch butterflies, and for good reason. It is the primary food plant for their larvae in the United States, and a nectar source for many other butterflies and bees. It grows in sun or part sun, offering showy flowers in hot summer party colors paired with medium green foliage. We said orange was kind of an average, because they can opt to be anywhere from yellow to red. From a distance, they read as a flattened ball of fire, but up close the clusters reveal tens of upward-facing stars with yellow eyes ready to call their butterflies home. Far from a weed, they feed multiple pollinators, are a strong cut flower, the seed pods are valued in flower arrangements, and they are a long-lived, beautiful, and easy-care addition to your garden.

One of the most striking wildflowers, Asclepias tuberosa is native to Missouri, and is common throughout the eastern and southern U.S. The name comes from Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine, honoring its medicinal use of the roots to quell lung inflammation. They bloom from late spring throughout the summer.

An interesting point is that this asclepias species does not have any milky sap, like other native species do, so no fuss while cutting. At a neat two feet tall and wide, they are easy to work into any sunny summer container or garden setting. The flowers make a good cut flower, and the seed pods are valued in flower arrangements.

Butterfly Milkweed Care

Butterfly Milkweed excels in poor dry soil in full-to part sun exposure, so it makes a wonderful choice to beautify hard-to-water areas like “hell strips” by the sidewalk, roundabouts, parking lot plantings, a xeric (drought-tolerant) garden, native garden, pollinator garden, or any sunny spot your hose can’t reach.

They like very well-drained soil on the lean side, so little to no fertilization should be necessary. Massing on a slope would be wonderful. Take extra care ensuring drainage if the site has any shade. When planting, take care not to disturb Butterfly Milkweed’s long taproot. For this reason, choose the planting spot well to avoid replanting.

Butterfly Milkweed Spacing

Generally, a spacing of about 24 inches is perfect for Butterfly Weed. Plants can take two to three years to establish and bloom. The plants will self-sow if allowed, and grow easily from seed if you want more. If you wish to avoid the plant seeding, remove the flowers before the seeds open and make a striking bouquet.

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