Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa

a.k.a. Butterfly Milkweed

One of the best natives for dry, sunny areas, butterfly milkweed is a host plant for the larva of the monarch butterfly and provides nectar and pollen for butterflies, bees, and other pollinating insects. Bright orange flowers sit on top of a compact plant of 2' by 2' at maturity.

USDA symbol: ASTU

General Information

Plant Type	Forb
Height	2 feet
Light Exposure	Sun, Part Sun
Soil Moisture	Dry
Bloom Color	Orange

Butterfly Weed (Butterfly Weed<div><em class="small">Asclepias tuberosa</em></div>) — Photo credit: Ecoscapes (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation Tolerance	Low
General Resilience	6
Salt Tolerance	Medium
Stress Tolerance	Drought Tolerant, Fire Tolerant, General Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom Months	June to August
Larval Host of	Butterflies, Moths
Specific Pollinators Hosted	Danaus gilippus, Danaus plexippus, Euchaetes egle
Pollinator Benefit	Insect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Stem Nesting, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project Type	Boulevard, Rain Garden, Restoration, Sandy or Engineered Soils, Shoreline Buffer, Upland Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism	6
Herbivore Sensitivity	Low
Lifespan	Perennial
Rate of Spread	Slow
Soil Stabilization	Deep
Vegetative Reproduction	Clonal

Range

County	Aitkin, Anoka, Benton, Blue Earth, Brown, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Crow Wing, Dakota, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Le Sueur, Martin, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nicollet, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Scott, Sherburne, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Winona, Wright
Ecoregion	Driftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco Province	Eastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands