Botanical illustration of Butterfly Weed (Milkweed)
🎨 AI-generated botanical illustration
Home / Native_Plants / Butterfly Weed (Milkweed)

🌱 Butterfly Weed (Milkweed)

Asclepias tuberosa
native_plants perennial
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
low to moderate
🗺️ Zones
[3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
🧪 Soil pH
5.5-7.5
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained, sandy, tolerates poor
📏 Spacing
12-18 inches
📐 Height
1-3 ft

🤝 Companions (3)

🤝 Echinacea
Both native prairie flowers; combined pollinator and butterfly support
🤝 New Jersey Tea
Shared dry, sunny prairie/meadow conditions
🤝 little bluestem
Native grass companion providing structural support for butterfly weed

⚠️ Keep Apart (1)

⚠️ none — but deep taproot means it can't be transplanted once established

📝 Growing Notes

The monarch butterfly nursery. This is THE host plant for monarch caterpillars — no milkweed, no monarchs. Brilliant orange flowers that glow like embers in the garden. Unlike common milkweed, butterfly weed doesn't spread aggressively and doesn't have milky sap. Deep taproot — extremely drought-tolerant.

🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Johnny's Selected Seeds Botanical Interests True Leaf Market Burpee Territorial Seed Company

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