Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies' (Butterfly Milkweed)

'Gay Butterflies' is an attractive ornamental cultivar of Asclepias tuberosa, also called butterfly milkweed, a perennial wildflower widely known for its vital role in the life cycle of the monarch butterfly (Danaus pleixippus). Native to drier sites throughout most of the United States, butterfly milkweed is adaptable and resilient, growing best in direct sunlight and dry to very dry well-drained soils. Due to this plant's long, water-retaining taproots, butterfly milkweed is incredibly drought tolerant, but this also means it's much more susceptible to over-watering. Slightly larger than other butterfly milkweeds, Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies' grows to 20-30" tall in an upright mound, and varies from the parent species in terms of its showy blooms. While Asclepias tuberosa is already a showstopper with its bright orange blooms, the 'Gay Butterflies' cultivar stands out even more with a fiery rainbow of flowers in shades of lemon yellow, gold, and bright orange. 

With value to not only butterflies but also hummingbirds and bees, Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies' makes for a great addition to pollinator gardens and flower beds, but with its high drought tolerance, butterfly milkweed also works well in bright, dry meadows and rock gardens. The plant produces a milky, toxic sap, and though this sap may present problems for pets if eaten, this milky sap also makes butterfly milkweed resistant to deer and rabbit browsing. Once flowers have begun to fade during the late summer, butterfly milkweed produces long, narrow seed pods that persist through the fall and winter, adding multi-season interest.