Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is commonly called Butterfly Weed, and that’s probably a better name because unlike other milkweeds, this species has no milky sap. But it certainly attracts butterflies with its clusters of bright orange flowers that bloom throughout the summer and into fall.

The plant is a larval host for Gray Hairstreak, Monarch, and Queen butterflies - meaning that adults of those species will lay their eggs on it and you’ll have caterpillars feeding on it.

Plant Butterfly Weed in full sun and expect it to grow 18” tall and wide. -- It is perennial in Collin County, Texas. It will die back to the ground in winter and re-emerge from the same root system in late April or early May. It does produce seed pods at the end of the season and - if you don’t collect them and they open - you’ll find some plants you never planted popping up around the garden the following spring.

It grows well in most soils, but if you can improve the drainage of the heavy clay we have here in North Texas, it will help. It tolerates drought and takes our summer heat just fine. If it has one problem, it’s that it does get aphids. They seldom do serious damage to the plant, so I just leave them for the ladybugs.

Butterfly Weed - Asclepias tuberosa
Pronounced: ass-KLE-pee-us too-ber-OH-suh

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Flying Monarch image used under license from Freestock.com.
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