April 12, 20264 min read
Butterfly Weed: Orange Fire for Dry Yards
Asclepias tuberosa
Botanical name
Asclepias tuberosa
Sun
Full sun
Soil
Dry, sandy, well-drained
Height
1.5 – 2.5 ft
Bloom time
June – August
Pollinators supported
Monarch butterfly · Fritillaries · Native bees · Soldier beetles
Butterfly Weed is the milkweed for tough sites — sandy soils, hot slopes, and the strip between sidewalk and street. It develops a deep taproot that makes it nearly impossible to kill once established.
Be patient: it emerges late in spring, often not until late May. Mark its location so you don't dig it up by accident.
Unlike its cousins, Butterfly Weed has no milky sap. It serves as a monarch host plant and an exceptional nectar source for swallowtails and native bees.
Want this plant in your yard?
If it's milkweed, we'll give it to you free. Otherwise, we'll point you to local sources of true native plants — no nursery cultivars, no neonicotinoids.
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