butterfly milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Perennial Plant of the Year 2017; GCA Plant of the Year 2014; MBG Plant of Merit 2018
USDA zones3 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size1 to 2.5 feet tall12 to 24 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Orange , yellow
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a perennial for borders, pollinator gardens, rock gardens, and meadows. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Its orange flowers feed monarch butterflies, and it is late to emerge in spring, so be patient. Deer and rabbits usually look elsewhere for a meal. Unlike other milkweeds, it has no milky sap.
Pairs well with Magnus coneflower, Standing Ovation little bluestem, Nodding onion, and New Jersey tea.
Native range
North America, District of Columbia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and 2 more places. See all 6
North America, District of Columbia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Québec, and Rhode I..