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butterfly milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa ssp. interior


  Colorado

Dimensions
Height: 8.0 in. to 1.5 ft.
Spread: 1.0 ft. to 2.0 ft.
Growth Form
Herbaceous
Program Association
Nature in the City
Wildlife Uses
Pollinators/ Invertebrates
Sun Requirements
Full Sun
Water Requirements
Very Low
Plant Community
Foothills, Plains
Season of Bloom
June, July, August
Flower Color
Orange Shades
Leaf Color
Green Shades
Aggressiveness
Readily Seeds
Design Considerations
Small Spaces, Showy Flowers
Other Considerations
Deer Tolerant
Duration
Perennial
Soil Type
Well Drained
Pests/Disease Prone
No
Hazards/Toxic
No City Data.

Notes

This is an important larval and adult food host for many of our native invertebrates, 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 wide 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.