Common Name: Butterfly Weed
Latin Name: Asclepias tuberosa
Size: 0 (min) to 0 (max)
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Plant Facts
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Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
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Category: Perennial Would you like to dedicate a plant to someone?

Asclepias tuberosa
Family: ASCLEPIADACEAE
Genus: Asclepias
species: tuberosa
Origin:
Size: 0 (min) to 0 (max)
Size Description:
Notes:
Foliage: Alternate and lanceolate or oblong. Sessile or very short petioles. Color may be green or gray-blue
Flowers: Umbels that are usually orange but some varieties are pink or yellow
Culture: Full sun, dry soil
Pests and problems: Slower to emerge in the spring than many herbaceous ornamental perennials
Growth habit, uses: Short mound that looks nice in perennial borders, or used for cut flowers or dried flowers. Attracts butterflies and is an important source for Monarch butterfly larvae. Sap is acrid and poisonous, and the butterfly larvae that feed on them are toxic to predators such as birds.
Related species and cultivars: ‘Gay butterflies’ is a selection that was bred for red and yellow, however, most of the flowers are orange. A. incarnata, Swamp milkweed, is 3 feet tall with 3- to 6-inch leaves and white, creamy yellow or mauve flowers; great for back of a sunny border or near a pond.
Note: A few species have become weedy in warmer regions.
Notes courtesy of Sue Trusty.
Characteristics:
Availability: | Good Availabilty | ||
Deer Resistance: | Good Resistance | See plants that are deer resistant. | |
Full Sun Tolerance: | Performs Well | See other plants that like full sun. |
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This plant is on the recommended list of: Melissa Benoit Ron Rothhaas Deer Resistant Attracts Butterflies Scott Beuerline Kris Barton Alternatives to Invasive Plants Alternatives to Invasive Plants
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Plant Images and Specimens

Photo Credit: Steve Foltz
Location: Cincinnati Zoo
Photo Credit: Scott Beuerlein
Location: Coyote Ct, Mason Coyote ct Mason OH
Specimen: 117
Specimen: 117
Asclepias tuberosa
Age: 2008
Planted By: Sue Trusty
Photo Credit: Brandan Jones
Season: Mid summer 2008
Asclepias tuberosa
Age: 2008
Planted By: Sue Trusty
Photo Credit: Brandan Jones
Season: Mid summer 2008
Asclepias tuberosa
Age: 2008
Planted By: Sue Trusty
Photo Credit: Brandan Jones
Season: Mid summer 2008
Asclepias tuberosa
Age: 2008
Planted By: Sue Trusty
Photo Credit: Brandan Jones
Season: Mid summer 2008
Location: Cleveland Botanical Garden 11030 East Blvd Cleveland OH 44106 [Latitude: 41.512429383333300 Longitude: -81.611057800000000] Specimen: 2907
Location: Jardin des Plantes, Paris, France 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France [Latitude: 48.843482766666700 Longitude: 2.359517433333330] Specimen: 4332
Location: Brooklyn Botanic Garden 900 Washington Avenue Brooklyn NY 11225 [Latitude: 40.669278030000000 Longitude: -73.965570250000000] Specimen: 5987
Location: Queens Botanical Garden [Latitude: 40.751160880000000 Longitude: -73.827576220000000] Specimen: 7267
Location: Geneva, Switzerland [Latitude: 46.224544630000000 Longitude: 6.146956830000000] Specimen: 9100

Jardin Botanique Geneva, November 2016
Location: Geneva, Switzerland