Summary ³

Asclepias tuberosa is a species of milkweed native to eastern North America. It is a perennial plant growing to 0.3–1 metre (1 ft 0 in–3 ft 3 in) tall, with clustered orange or yellow flowers from early summer to early autumn. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, 5–12 cm long, and 2–3 cm broad.

Description ⁴

Family:
Apocynaceae (Dogbane)

Height:
1.5 to 2 feet

Leaves:
Alternate, hairy, and lance-shaped, widening at tip

Flower:
Bright orange flat-topped clusters, 2 to 3 inches wide

Bloom time:
June-September

Nicknames:
Butterfly Weed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Windroot

Habitat:
Upland prairies, sites with deep loam or sandy loam

Wildlife Benefits:
Nectar source for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

Can I plant this in my garden?
Butterfly milkweed prefers sunny gardens that are dry or well-drained. It is great flower to plant to attract pollinators.

References:
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/btf_milkweedx.htm

Range ⁴

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
2. (c) lvconrad1977, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by lvconrad1977
3. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_tuberosa
4. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• NBN Atlas
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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