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©Denver Botanic Gardens

butterfly weed
Asclepias tuberosa


  United States

Dimensions
Height: 1.0 ft. to 1.5 ft.
Spread: 1.0 ft. to 1.5 ft.
Growth Form
Herbaceous
Program Association
Xeriscape Incentive Program
Wildlife Uses
Hummingbirds, Pollinators/ Invertebrates
Sun Requirements
Full Sun, Part Sun
Water Requirements
Low
Season of Bloom
May, June, July, August
Flower Color
Orange Shades
Leaf Color
Green Shades
Aggressiveness
Readily Seeds
Design Considerations
Long Blooming, Showy Flowers, Streetscape Plants
Other Considerations
Deer Tolerant
Duration
Perennial
Soil Type
Clay, Nutrient Poor, Sandy, Well Drained
Pests/Disease Prone
No City Data
Hazards/Toxic
No City Data.

Notes

This species is an important larval food host for three specialist butterfly species and adult food host to twenty-two specialist butterfly species, the most popular being the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Generally, Monarch butterflies will lay eggs on any Asclepias species and preferences change depending on season, habitat, and health of the milkweed. Provide a selection of milkweed species in your garden for these butterflies.


There are three subspecies of A. tuberosa identified by USDA Plants National Database, all native to the U.S. Subspecies rolfsii and tuberosa are native to the eastern states and subspecies interior is native to most of the U.S., including Colorado.