Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Milkweed) Unity Grown

Asclepias tuberosa, also called butterfly milkweed, is a showy perennial wildflower, widely known for its vital role in the life cycle of the monarch butterfly (Danaus pleixippus) as well as its fiery orange flowers during the summer. Native to drier areas with coarse soil across 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, tuberous taproots, butterfly milkweed is incredibly drought tolerant, but this taproot also makes butterfly milkweed much slower to bloom and much more susceptible to over-watering , especially in heavy, compacted soils. Asclepias tuberosa grows to only 18-24" tall, placing it among the shorter milkweed varieties; although Asclepias tuberosa is set apart by its orange flowers, shorter height, and better tolerance of drier conditions, butterfly milkweed is by no means the only option for supporting monarchs in your backyard.

With value to not only butterflies but also hummingbirds and bees, Asclepias tuberosa makes for a great addition to pollinator gardens and flower beds, but with its drought tolerance, butterfly milkweed also works well in bright, dry meadows and arid rock gardens. The plant produces a milky, toxic sap, and though this sap can make pets ill if they consume it, this sap also makes butterfly milkweed tolerant to deer and rabbit browsing. Once flowers have faded during the late summer, butterfly milkweed produces long, narrow seed pods that persist through the fall and winter, adding multi-season interest.