Species Native to Missouri
Common Name: butterfly weed
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Apocynaceae
Native Range: Eastern and southern United States
Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 1.00 to 2.50 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 1.50 feet
Bloom Time: June to August
Bloom Description: Orange to yellow-orange
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize, Rain Garden
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Erosion, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Drought tolerant. Does well in poor, dry soils. New growth tends to emerge late in the spring. Plants are easily grown from seed, but are somewhat slow to establish and may take 2-3 years to produce flowers. Mature plants may freely self-seed in the landscape if seed pods are not removed prior to splitting open. Butterfly weed does not transplant well due to its deep taproot, and is probably best left undisturbed once established.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Asclepias tuberosa, commonly called butterfly weed, is a tuberous rooted, Missouri native perennial which occurs in dry/rocky open woods, glades, prairies, fields and roadsides throughout the State (Steyermark). It typically grows in a clump to 1-2.5' tall and features clusters (umbels) of bright orange to yellow-orange flowers atop upright to reclining, hairy stems with narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Unlike many of the other milkweeds, this species does not have milky-sapped stems. Flowers give way to prominent, spindle-shaped seed pods (3-6" long) which split open when ripe releasing numerous silky-tailed seeds for dispersal by the wind. Seed pods are valued in dried flower arrangements. Long bloom period from late spring throughout the summer. Flowers are a nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies and many other pollinators, and leaves are a food source for monarch butterfly larvae (caterpillars).
The charismatic and imperiled monarch butterfly requires milkweed plants in order to survive. Monarchs migrate into the eastern U.S. from Mexico in spring to lay their eggs on milkweed species plants. Caterpillars hatch from the eggs and consume the milkweed plant foliage as food for growth and development. Mature caterpillars will search for a nearby, sheltered location to enter the pupal stage and form a chrysalis. Inside, they will complete metamorphosis and emerge as an adult butterfly in around 2 weeks. Flower nectar is consumed by adult butterflies as a valuable food source. The 4th or 5th generation of monarch butterflies that emerges in August-September will migrate into Mexico to overwinter as adults. Significant declines in monarch butterfly populations in North America over the course of the 21st century are believed by many experts to be caused by a reduction in milkweed due to widespread use of herbicide-tolerant row crops, climate change, and loss of overwinter sites due to habitat destruction.
To support monarch butterflies, plant species of milkweed that are native to your area.
Genus name honors the Greek god Asklepios the god of medicine.
Specific epithet means "tuberous" in reference to the roots.
The common name butterfly weed refers to how attractive this plant is to butterflies. This species is sometimes also called pleurisy root in reference to a traditional medicinal use of the plant roots to treat lung inflammations.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Crown rot can be a problem in wet, poorly drained soils. Susceptible to rust and leaf spot. Aphids can be problematic but attempting to control them can result in inadvertent harm to monarch caterpillars and other beneficial insects.
Uses
Butterfly gardens, rock gardens, meadows, prairies, or naturalized/native plant areas. Also effective in sunny borders or slopes. Whether massing plants in large drifts or sprinkling them throughout a prairie or meadow, butterfly weed is one of our showiest native wildflowers.