# Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) > The one milkweed almost everyone recognizes: flat-topped clusters of brilliant orange flowers on a stiff, hairy, knee-high clump. It is the most garden-worthy species in the genus: tidy, drought-proof, long-lived and unbothered by anything except wet soil. It is also the odd one out in the family, with alternate leaves and watery rather than milky sap. Source: https://milkweedusa.com/species/butterfly-weed/ Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Milkweed USA) ## Summary The one milkweed almost everyone recognizes: flat-topped clusters of brilliant orange flowers on a stiff, hairy, knee-high clump. It is the most garden-worthy species in the genus: tidy, drought-proof, long-lived and unbothered by anything except wet soil. It is also the odd one out in the family, with alternate leaves and watery rather than milky sap. ## Key facts | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Scientific name | Asclepias tuberosa L. | | Genus | Asclepias | | Family | Apocynaceae | | Common names | Butterfly Weed, Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower | | Status | Native | | Height | 1 ft–3 ft | | Spread | 1 ft–2 ft | | Flower color | orange, yellow, red | | Bloom period | May to September | | Light | Full sun | | Soil moisture | Dry, Average | | USDA zones | 3-9 | | Leaf arrangement | alternate | | Leaf shape | lanceolate | | Sap | Clear (unusual in the genus) | | Root system | Deep taproot, resents transplanting | | Seed stratification | 30 days cold-moist | | Monarch value (0-5) | 4 | | Garden value (0-5) | 5 | | Nectar value (0-5) | 5 | | US states recorded | Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming | ## Identification - Sap is clear or barely cloudy. It is the only common North American milkweed that does not bleed white latex when a leaf is pulled. - Leaves are alternate and stalkless, not paired opposite each other as in most milkweeds. - Stems and leaves are noticeably rough-hairy; the whole plant feels sandpapery. - Flowers range from yellow through pumpkin to nearly scarlet, often varying between plants in a single population. ## Ecology Butterfly weed is a nectar powerhouse. The shallow flowers are worked by fritillaries, swallowtails, hairstreaks, bumble bees and hundreds of small native bees. Monarchs lay on it readily, though the narrow leaves support fewer caterpillars per plant than the big-leaved species. Its clear sap is also lower in cardenolides than most milkweeds, which makes it a milder host. ## Growing Give it sun and sharp drainage and it will outlive you; give it clay that stays wet in winter and it will rot. The deep taproot means it hates being moved once established, so plant it small or sow it in place. It emerges very late in spring, so mark the spot to avoid digging it up. No staking, no dividing, no feeding. ## Cautions Cardiac glycosides are present but low. Livestock avoid it. The old herbal name "pleurisy root" reflects historical medicinal use, not a safety endorsement. Do not ingest it. ## Questions **Is butterfly weed the same as milkweed?** Yes. Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is one of roughly 75 milkweed species in North America. The confusion comes from its clear sap and orange flowers, which look nothing like the pink drooping umbels of common milkweed. **Why is my butterfly weed not coming up in spring?** It is famously the last perennial in the bed to break dormancy, often four to six weeks after everything else. In cold regions it may not appear until late May or June. Do not dig, do not water heavily, and do not give up before midsummer. **Can I move an established butterfly weed?** Rarely with success. The taproot can go two to three feet down and resents disturbance. If you must move it, do so in early spring as growth begins, dig far wider and deeper than feels reasonable, and expect a lost season. ## References - Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:94704-1 - GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/3170305 - iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/47912 - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_tuberosa - BONAP county map: https://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Asclepias%20tuberosa.png - NatureServe: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search?searchTerm=Asclepias%20tuberosa ## Photographs - Asclepias tuberosa 001 (H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_tuberosa_001.JPG - Asclepias tuberosa bud (Rob Duval, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_tuberosa_bud.jpg - Asclepias tuberosa BUTTERFLY MILKWEED (3194738925) (Frank Mayfield from Chicago area, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_tuberosa_BUTTERFLY_MILKWEED_(3194738925).jpg - Asclepias tuberosa BUTTERFLY MILKWEED (3194741429) (Frank Mayfield from Chicago area, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_tuberosa_BUTTERFLY_MILKWEED_(3194741429).jpg - Asclepias tuberosa BUTTERFLY MILKWEED (3195582394) (Frank Mayfield from Chicago area, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_tuberosa_BUTTERFLY_MILKWEED_(3195582394).jpg - Asclepias tuberosa Hello Yellow 2zz (Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_tuberosa_Hello_Yellow_2zz.jpg - Asclepias tuberosa in La Jaysinia (1) (Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_tuberosa_in_La_Jaysinia_(1).jpg - Asclepias tuberosa in La Jaysinia (2) (Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_tuberosa_in_La_Jaysinia_(2).jpg ## How to cite Milkweed USA. (2026). Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa). https://milkweedusa.com/species/butterfly-weed/