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Butterfly Weed: Asclepias tuberosa

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butterfly weed

Family: Asclepiadaceae

Above: butterfly weed plant, Below: close up of flowers Use: berms, beds, meadows
butterfly weed flowers

Plant: deep rooted perennial to 3'

Origin: North American prairies and roadsides

Zone
: 3 - 9

Flowers
: bright orange to red clustered in racemes. Complicated pollination mechanism requires large insects like butterflies.

Foliage: simple, sessile leaves with no milky sap

Culture
: sunny location in average soil. Toleates poor, dry, rocky soil. Attracts monarch butterflies.



wemoss.org 2007, Last Updated June 5, 2007