Virginia ecotype
- Duration: Perennial
- Habit: Clump-forming, non-rhizomatous, deep rooted
- Size: Typically 1.5 to 3 feet tall; 1 to 2 feet wide
- Flowering Time: May to September; heavist showing in June and July
- Bloom Color: Bright orange (occasionally yellow or reddish-orange)
- Habitat: Dry prairies, open woods, roadsides, fields, sandhills
- Moisture: Dry to average; requires well-drained soil
- Light: Full sun to dappled light, best showing in full sun
- Soils: Sandy, loamy, or gravelly soils; does not tolerate heavy clay
- Uses: Low pollinator gardens, butterfly gardens, xeriscaping, prairie restoration, rock gardens, erosion control
Asclepias tuberosa (Orange butterflyweed)
Asclepias tuberosa is commonly known as Butterflyweed, Butterfly Milkweed, or Orange Milkweed, is a standout native valued for its brilliant orange blooms and exceptional drought tolerance. Unlike many other milkweeds, it lacks milky sap and spreads slowly from a deep taproot rather than by rhizomes. It is also low growing and bushy rather than upright in habit compared to others of its genus.
Orange butterflyweed's vibrant umbels of flowers appear from late spring through summer and attract a flurry of pollinator activity. This species thrives in full sun and well-drained, nutrient-poor soils, making it ideal for dry gardens, open meadows, and prairie plantings.
Butterfly Weed is a host plant for Monarch butterfly caterpillars (Danaus plexippus) as well as for Queen and Gray Hairstreak butterflies. Its nectar-rich flowers support a wide range of pollinators, including native bees, moths, butterflies, wasps, and beetles. Milkweed plays a key role in supporting declining Monarch populations and is a foundational plant for butterfly gardens and habitat restoration efforts.
Its strong, upright stems and showy blooms make it popular in both wild and formal landscapes, and its deep roots (once established) can go several feet down into the soil, giving it great resilience to drought and neglect. Due to its slow growth and dislike of root disturbance, it performs best when left in its chosen spot, and is difficult (though not impossible) to transplant. Butterfly Weed is susceptible to crown rot if planted in poorly drained or too constantly moist locations, so should be planted with care in bright and well draining sites.