Kingdom Plantae Family Apocynaceae Scientific name Asclepias tuberosa Rank Species | Order Gentianales Genus Asclepias Higher classification Milkweed | |
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Similar Milkweed, Common milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, Asclepias curassavica, Bee balm | ||
Minnesota native plant butterfly weed asclepias tuberosa
Asclepias tuberosa is a species of milkweed native to eastern North America. It is a perennial plant growing to 0.3–1 metre (1 ft 0 in–3 ft 3 in) tall, with clustered orange or yellow flowers from early summer to early autumn. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, 5–12 cm long, and 2–3 cm broad.
Contents
- Minnesota native plant butterfly weed asclepias tuberosa
- Plant portrait butterfly weed asclepias tuberosa
- Identification
- Propagation
- Subspecies
- Common names
- References
This plant favors dry, sand or gravel soil, but has also been reported on stream margins. It requires full sun.
It is commonly known as butterfly weed because of the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. It is also the larval food plant of the queen and monarch butterflies. Hummingbirds, bees and other insects are also attracted.
Use of the plant is contraindicated in pregnancy, during lactation or with infants due to the small amount of cardiac glycosides.
Plant portrait butterfly weed asclepias tuberosa
Identification
The plant looks similar to the lanceolate milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata), but is uniquely identified by the larger number of flowers, and the hairy stems that are not milky when broken. It is most commonly found in fields with dry soil.
Propagation
Most easily propagated by seed. Sown outdoors after frost, a plant will flower and produce seed in the third year. Difficult to transplant once established.
Subspecies
Common names
Common names include butterfly weed, Canada root, chieger flower, chiggerflower, fluxroot, Indian paintbrush, Indian posy, orange milkweed, orange root, orange Swallow-wort, pleurisy root, silky swallow-wort, tuber root, yellow milkweed, white-root, windroot, butterfly love, butterflyweed, and butterfly milkweed.