Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a larval host plant for the Monarch and Queen butterflies, and is a key Monarch Way Station plant.

According to NPIN, this plant also has special value to native, bumble, and honey bees, including leafcutter, green sweat, small carpenter, small resin, and sweat bees.

Butterfly weed reportedly attracts beneficial insects to the garden, such as hoverflies, parasitic mini-wasps, and ladybugs. These beneficial insects feed on common garden pests.

Remove the seed pods before they split open in order to avoid any unwanted self-seeding.

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If deadheaded after first bloom cycle in early summer, Asclepias tuberosa will rebloom in late summer. Deadheading also avoids attracting droves of milkweed bugs. The disadvantage of deadheading is no future volunteer plants.

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Butterfly weed is a native of North America. It was used by Native Americans both as a paste for curing cuts or scratches and as a tea to induce perspiration during fevers. It was also used as an expectorant in severe respiratory problems including pleurisy and whooping cough.

Because it contains toxins its use is no longer recommended.

The species is considered rare or protected in some states.

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When I was a kid, this plant was known locally as Chigger Weed. While it never appeared in numbers, the flowers were avoided because they attracted so many chiggers. In that area at that time, chiggers were more despised than ticks. There are a lot of plants called chigger weed in different locales, but the blossoms of this plant seem to pull them all the way from the next county.

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Unlike common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and several other milkweed species, this one does not spread by underground rhizomes. It is short and stays in a neat clump, which gets bigger every year. It's a good choice for small yards or formal gardens.

The root is a thick taproot, not a tuber as the species name tuberosa would suggest. In the case of this species, the Latin word tuberosa means "having swellings" and refers to bulges that sometimes develop on the taproot.

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The original orange colored Butterfly Weed is a host plant of the Monarch Butterflies.

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Lovely orange flowers much loved by butterflies. This plant is late to appear in spring, so be sure not to weed it out of your garden by mistake or plant something else in its place.

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Honey bees get nectar from this plant which produces a light colored honey.

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Reliable bloomer. I cut the spent flowers and it reblooms within a few weeks. I don't see many butterflies on mine, but the bees love it.

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Seeds have parachute-like wings that enable them to be easily dispersed by the wind or by hitchhiking on animals, clothing, etc. To keep the seeds from blowing away after they mature and the pod splits, loosely tie the pods to keep them from fully opening, using twist tie.

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Finally, I have success with this plant! It took planting 5 flats from the nursery. I asked the owner to start these for me because I had a terrible time getting any to grow here, seed or plugs. This was my last resort. My one condition was NO chemicals. He started some in a greenhouse, but they died after they germinated nicely. He said they usually prevent that with a fungicide, but I wanted no chemicals. I am still firm on that, if I purchase plants intending insects to feed off them, they better not have any 'cides on them.

He started more, but kept them outside. Because spring was cold, it took them a long time to germinate. They were quite puny when I brought them home. Once it was consistently warm, then they really began growing. I did not expect any flowers the first year, but to my surprise I am getting excellent blooms... just beautiful. Even more so with the Monarch caterpillars on them. The Monarchs do use some of the flowers for nectar, but I see more of them on the Blazingstars.

I believe I discovered why I had a hard time growing these previously. I put them in clay soil and watered them too much. They like drier conditions and sandy/rocky soil. After the initial planting and maybe watering them for a week, the only water they get now is whatever the Lord provides.

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I love this bright little plant, but have terrible problems with aphids on them. I never see aphids in my garden unless I plant butterfly weed, and then the stems are entirely covered with the little buggers. I don't want to use chemical controls because I planted it in a butterfly and bee garden, so I usually resort to spraying with a hard blast of water from my hose. I'm glad they are nowhere near my roses!

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Monarch butterflies will always find their way to these plants as they are host plants for their young.

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Snowy flat flower clusters on stems with milky sap in summer and early fall, ornamental seed pods packed with many seeds attached to silky hairs, which are carried by the wind.
For best results (if planting more than one of these plants), space each one 1 and a half to 2 feet apart from each other.
Landscape uses:
Use swap, milkweed in a wildflower garden or an informal border or allow it to naturalize in a giddy meadow. Plant butterfly weed in a border or a wildflower garden, where its brilliant color is most effective in groups of three or more plants. It's flowers are excellent for for drying. The seedpods of both species are attractive when used in dried arrangements.

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I will be growing the orange butterfly milk weed this year for winter sowing.

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