- Partial Sun to Full Sun (At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)
- Height 2 Feet
- Width 1.5 - 2 Feet
- Growing Zones 3-9
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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- ASCTU
Container Sizes
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on; type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
4.5" Pot
Also Known As:
4.5" Container
Plant Age:
~ 6 months
Plant Size:
~ 3"-6"
Pot Size:
~ 4.5"H x 3.75"W
Volume:
1.42 quarts
Quart Pot
Also Known As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 6 months - 1 year
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts
2.5 Quart
Also Known As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts
#1 Pot
Also Known As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
#2 Pot
Also Known As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 3 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons
#3 Pot
Also Known As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 - 4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons
For more detailed information, please click here.
Plant Addicts Guarantee (Included On All Plant Orders)
Plant Addicts always guarantees your plant(s) will arrive happy & healthy. However, plant(s) are being shipped through the mail & sometimes accidents happen. If the plant is dead, has dried out roots or the incorrect item was shipped, just notify Plant Addicts within 3 days upon delivery. We may ask for pictures but will try to make it as easy as possible for you. Please note, plant(s) with damaged branches or wilted leaves will not qualify for this guarantee. Plants are very resilient and will rebound quickly when cared for correctly.
For more information on how to care for your new plants, please click on our guide below.
Guide: How to Care for Your New Plant(s)
Plant Addicts Warranty - 1 Year (Extra Purchase Required)
We encourage all plant lovers to purchase the Plant Addicts Warranty, whether you're a new gardener or an expert. There are many variables outside of anyone's control that can cause a plant to die. Hungry animals, drought, poor soil conditions, over watering, diseases & pests are all good examples of what can cause plants to die. The Plant Addicts Warranty is a 1 year warranty protecting you from all of the unknowns and will replace your plant if something were to happen to it.
The warranty is purchased on a per plant basis and must be purchased at the same time as the plant(s). We will cover 100% of the price of the plant, but the warranty does not cover shipping costs. SImply let us know if your plant has died within 1 year of receiving it and we will get you a new one shipped out as soon as possible (depending on the time of the year and availability). We may ask for photos for documentation purposes, but we try to make the process as easy as possible.
For more information, please click on our page below.
Plant Shipping
Below are some factors we consider when determining when to ship the plants depending on the timing of the order.
Winter to Early Spring
We ship only when it's warm enough to plant in your growing zone.
Sometimes plants aren't completely ready to sell and ship in early spring. We will wait until the plants are ready before shipping so you don't get a subpar product.
For Southern plants we will be able to ship much earlier than plants coming from our northern nursery.
Summer
If there is extreme heat we may delay shipping for a week or several weeks.
We review what areas the plants are traveling through as well as your location.
Fall into Winter
We’ll ship plants out all the way up to the end of the fall planting season!
Winter
Get your order in early to reserve your plants for Spring planting!
Once your plant is shipped you’ll receive an automated email with tracking information.
Click here for more detailed shipping information.
Planter Shipping
Standard Colors: 2-3 business days
Special Order Colors: 8 weeks - this is due to the planter being custom made with the color(s) of your choice
Please Note: On special orders there can not be any cancellations