Butterfly-weed
Asclepias tuberosa
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 |