Butterfly Milkweed

Description

Asclepias tuberosa, commonly known as Butterfly Milkweed, is a native perennial plant with a deep root system. Milkweed seeds have a tuft of long silky hairs attached to one end, which is the seed dispersal mechanism. People of the First Nations boiled and ate the plant as pot herbs. They also considered Butterfly Milkweed an important medicine; they chewed it and placed it on wounds and bruises and used it to induce vomiting. Butterfly milkweed was once considered a cure for pleurisy.

Pollinators enjoy the flowers of Butterfly Milkweed. They attract a host of bee species as well as butterflies, wasps, and hummingbirds. The leaves and other plant parts are consumed by a number of insect species, including the Monarch butterfly’s caterpillar. Consuming milkweeds protects the insects by making them toxic to would-be predators.

Milkweeds have a latex-like sap that contains a variety of chemicals, principally cardiac glycosides, which limit palatability and make the plant toxic when consumed in large quantities. While the sap of Butterfly Milkweed is not milky, the plants are bitter-tasting and livestock seem to avoid it.

This is the showiest milkweed species; the striking flowers are usually orange but can vary from yellow to red. Many enamored landscapers have decided to transplant a Butterfly Milkweed only to discover that it has deep roots and is usually damaged during transplanting efforts; it is usually best to either establish it from seed or potted plants. It shares well with other species and is a great choice on drier sites. It works well as a cut flower and is a pretty in combination with Rattlesnake Master, Yellow Coneflower, and New Jersey Tea. This is a fun species to plant in outdoor classrooms or other kid-frequented settings due to the seeds that parachute through the air.

Butterfly milkweed prefers sites on the drier end of the spectrum of soils. It is found in dry prairies, glades, savannas, open rocky woodlands and sand prairies.

Videos and Articles About This Plant

To learn more about this plant, check out our article about it and its uses.

Are Milkweeds Enough for Monarchs?