Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Size Class: 1-3 ft.
Fruit Type: Legume
Size Notes: 1-1.5 feet
Leaf Color: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Orange , Yellow
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AL , AZ , AR , CA , CO , CT , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , IA , KS , KY , LA , ME , MD , MA , MI , MN , MS , MO , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NY , NC , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VT , VA , WV , WI , DC
Canada: NB , NL , NS , ON , QC
Native Distribution: Ontario to Newfoundland; New England south to Florida; west to Texas; north through Colorado to Minnesota.
Native Habitat: Grows in prairies, open woods, canyons, and hillsides throughout most of the state, common in eastern two thirds of Texas, uncommon in the Hill Country. Plant in well-drained sand, loam, clay, or limestone.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Drought Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Prefers well-drained sandy soils. Tolerates drought.
Conditions Comments: Butterfly weed has an interesting and unusual flower structure. Plant it among other mid-sized perennials. Inevitably butterfly weed will get aphids; you can leave them for ladybugs to eat or spray the insects and foliage with soapy water. Aphids can also be removed by blasting the plant with a high pressure stream of water.
Texas comments: Butterfly weed has an interesting and unusual flower structure. Plant it among other mid-sized perennials or a short meadow. Inevitably butterfly weed will get aphids; you can leave them for ladybugs to eat or spray the insects and foliage with soapy water. Aphids can also be removed by blasting the plant with a high pressure stream of water.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Butterfly weed makes a delightful cut flower. Strong color, Blooms ornamental, Showy, Long-living, Perennial garden.
Use Medicinal: Its tough root was chewed by First Nations People as a cure for pleurisy and other pulmonary ailments explaining its other common name, pleurisy root. (Niering) Fresh root chewed for bronchitis and other respiratory complaints. Tea of root for diarrhea.
Use Other: This showy plant is frequently grown from seed in home gardens.
Warning: POISONOUS PARTS: Roots, plant sap from all parts. Not edible. Toxic only if eaten in large quantities. Symptoms include vomiting, stupor, weakness, spasms. Toxic Principle: Resinoid, cardiac glycoside. (Poisonous Plants of N.C.)
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Hummingbirds , Butterflies
Larval Host: Grey Hairstreak, Monarch, Queens
Nectar Source: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Asclepias tuberosa is a larval host and/or nectar source for:

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Larval Host Learn more at BAMONA

Queen (Danaus gilippus) Larval Host Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds , Root Cuttings
Description: The easiest method of propagation is root cuttings. In the fall, cut the taproot into 2-inch sections and plant each section vertically, keeping the area moist.
Seed Collection: Watch plants closely for seedpods in late summer/early fall. Allow seeds to completely mature before collecting seed to establish new plants in another location. A long pod is produced containing hundreds of seeds with tufts of long, silky hairs (an adaptation for wind dispersal).
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Needs to be transplanted carefully and requires good drainage. It takes 2 – 3 years before A. tuberosa produces its vibrant flowers, which appear in 2 – 3 inch clusters of orangish-red. Once established, it lasts for years, becoming thicker each year.

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Find Seed or Plants

Order seed of this species from Native American Seed and help support the Wildflower Center.

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: We recently were required to put in a new septic system on our vacation property in Door County, WI. This left us with a clearing on our wooded lot where the septic field is now located. The installers said it was too late to plant wildflowers on this plot(weeds as he called them) so they planted grass seed instead. My question is, are there native varieties of wildflowers (such as Queen Anne's Lace, Wild Phlox or others) that could have been planted as late as July or could still be planted this coming Fall? If so I would welcome your suggestions. I am definitely not happy with the stringy unnatural-looking lawn I see emerging in the middle of our nicely wooded lot. Thank you in advance for your reply. Charlan Hamill
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Question: What flowers and plants do the caterpillars in Tennessee eat? And do you know what butterflies live in Tipton Co. Tennessee?
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Question: I am looking for a hardy evergreen hedge for privacy in Northern Michigan. I have sandy soil. Also am interested in planting a drought garden with mostly sun in same sandy soil.
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Question: What are suggestions for plants to plant around utilities boxes (3 of them clustered together) to effectively camouflage them but be attractive. We will outline a larger area in brick, plant evergreens behind the boxes and something in front. Looking for a couple perennials and an alternative to ornamental grass?
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Question: I am a teacher in San Augustine, Texas (which is in the Eastern Pineywoods region). I have started an outdoor classroom/schoolyard habitat at our school. We are in the process of planning our plant selection and I am overwhelmed. I need to have several raised beds with themes but I am trying to stay native (for NWF and TPW certification) as well as please my administration by having a very pretty garden. I have several lists of native plants but I am struggling with knowing what will satisfy my requirements of type as well as my administrations requirements of beauty. My two largest beds will be the following (all beds will have purchased landscapers mix for soil and will be irrigated by drip lines): butterfly/hummingbird garden (20' x 40')(which I am going to try and get certified as a monarch waystation. (monarchwatch.org) east texas native bed (20' x 65') Any help that you could pass my way would be greatly appreciated.
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From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery - Orefield, PA
Wildflower Farm - Coldwater, ON
Sunshine Farm & Gardens - Renick, WV
Enchanter's Garden - Hinton, WV

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, The - Valhalla, NY
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
United States Botanic Garden - Washington, DC
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX

Bibliography

Edible wild plants of the prairie : an ethnobotanical guide (1987) Kindscher, K.
Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, S.
Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
McMillen's Texas Gardening: Wildflowers (1998) Howard, D.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...
Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
* Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.
* Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Asclepias tuberosa in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Asclepias tuberosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Asclepias tuberosa