Butterfly-weed

Asclepias tuberosa

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Description:

Butterfly weed grows shorter than the other Asclepias species in the Pinelands. The plant does not contain a milky sap. Flowers are bright orange and occur in flat topped clusters in mid to late summer. The bright color of flowers attracts butterflies, and is the larval host of monarch and queen butterflies. Fruit occurs in pods that are grayish-green in color and ripen from late summer into the fall. Though the plant also contains poisonous cardiac glycosides, Native Americans would chew the root to cure pulmonary ailments like pleurisy. The plant grows in uplands in sandy, acidic to neutral soils.

Plant Overview:

Other Common Names:Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed
Plant Family:Asclepiadaceae
Plant Duration:Perennial
Plant Type:Herbaceous
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife:Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees
Bloom Time:Late June to early August, sporadically somewhat later
Fruit Timing:August to October
Global and State Rank:SNR, G5
Commercially available landscape plant?No
Soil Characteristics:
Soil Type:Sandy
Soil Moisture:Moist, Dry
Soil pH:Neutral, Slightly Acidic, Acidic
Light Needs:
Opitmal Light:Sun to partial shade
Light Range:Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant:
Soil Moisture:Moist, Dry

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