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Butterfly Weed

Asclepias tuberosa

$9.99
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per Plant - 2.5" Pot
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ZONES  4-9 | Good to grow! Zone
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Size: Plant - 2.5" Pot
Pollinator Pick
$9.99
$9.99 $0.00
$11.99
$11.99 $0.00
We're sorry, this product cannot ship to: Canada, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii, US Virgin Islands, and Guam

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a must-have for the pollinator garden with clusters of bright orange flowers in summer. This native wildflower is easy to grow, cold hardy, and does well in poor, dry soils. Asclepias is an important nectar source for Monarch butterflies and the sole host plant for Monarch caterpillars. Drought resistant/drought tolerant (xeric).

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Description

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a host plant for Monarch butterfly caterpillars, and an attractive nectar plant for many varieties of butterflies. This selection is best for dry, sandy, and well-draining soils. For clay soils, see our Butterfly Weed (Clay Form) selection. As a long-lived, tap-rooted plant, Butterfly Weed will establish its deep roots and reach mature size over a couple of seasons, and it will naturalize with time. Deep tap roots prefer not to be transplanted. Butterfly Weed is slow to wake up in the spring, but worth the wait for the bright orange flowers in summer! To achieve a bushy look, pinch back young stems. Unlike other milkweeds, Butterfly Weed does not possess the milky sap that can irritate skin and eyes. Stalks and pods provide interest in the winter garden. Perennial Plant Association Plant of The Year 2017. Asclepias tuberosa Native Range: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV.

Planting & Care

Asclepias (Milkweed) are sun loving plants that are essential perennials for monarch butterflies providing food for caterpillars and nectar for adult butterflies. They bloom from mid-summer into early fall and, with their milky sap, are resistant to rabbits and deer.

Asclepias can be divided into two groups for plant care; Asclepias tuberosa with orange (sometimes yellow) flowers and all the other species with pink (sometimes white) flowers.

  • Asclepias tuberosa (Orange Butterfly Weed) - this perennial stays dormant until later in the spring than many other plants, especially when grown in pots. It's fine to plant dormant plants; don't up-pot them for planting later in the growing season.
  1. Need sandy or gravelly soils (except the Clay form which does well in heavier soils including dry clay.)
  2. Does best with gravel mulches.
  3. After their second growing season, only requires deep but infrequent watering. Plant in full hot sun.
  4. Just a few handfuls of compost and Yum Yum Mix added to the planting hole is enough. Don't plant into a rich, highly-amended soil.

Special comments:

  • When planting dormant plants, water thoroughly after planting and wait to water again until the plant comes into active growth, at which time a deep watering every week or so is adequate. Take care not to overwater young transplants.
  • Asclepias has a long, carrot-like tap root that should remain undisturbed after planting and should NOT ever be divided.

Most Asclepias species are late to wake up in the spring, and will often be shipped as dormant plants. Don't despair if your milkweed is asleep. The white roots and woody crown are alive just waiting for consistently warm weather to wake up and begin to grow.these perennial species stay dormant later in the spring than many other plants, especially when they are grown in pots. It's fine to plant dormant plants; don't up-pot them for planting later in the growing season.

Preferred growing conditions:

  1. These species grow in a wide range of soil types, including clay.
  2. They don't need mulching (except in very hot climates).
  3. These are moisture-loving perennials and do well in wet to moderately moist soil conditions.
  4. Plant in full to part sun areas.
  5. They like compost enriched soils at planting time.

Special comments:

  • Asclepias syriaca and A. speciosa will spread to make big patches of plants and are best planted in parts of the landscape where they won't crowd out less vigorous plants. Not recommended for the prime spots in your perennial beds.
  • Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed) is a more refined grower and is fine to include in perennial beds.

Oftentimes, Milkweeds won't grow much their first season in the ground, so be patient. They are establishing their root system and crown. By the second growing season, the plants will begin to get bigger and look more robust. Asclepias species are an odd bunch and don't behave like many other more familiar perennials. So be patient and accept their quirky nature.

Garden care:

  1. Fertilize Asclepias just once in fall with Yum Yum Mix and Planters II. - Naturalized plantings don't need additional fertilization.
  2. To encourage re-seeding and provide winter interest with their ornamental seed pods, leave the stems intact over the winter. In mid-spring, remove old stems just above ground level.
  3. All species of Asclepias are late to emerge in the spring, so don't be concerned if other perennials come up first and they remain dormant.

Shipping

We're sorry, this product cannot ship to: Canada, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii, US Virgin Islands, and Guam

As soon as your order is placed you will receive a confirmation email. You will receive a second email the day your order ships telling you how it has been sent. Some perennials are shipped as potted plants, some as perennial roots packed in peat.  The ‘Plant Information’ section describes how that item will ship. All perennials and fall-planted bulbs are packaged to withstand shipping and are fully-guaranteed. Please open upon receipt and follow the instructions included.

Perennials and fall-planted bulbs are shipped at the proper planting time for your Growing Zone. Perennial and fall-planted bulb orders will arrive separately from seeds. If your order requires more than one shipment and all items are shipping to the same address, there is no additional shipping charge. See our shipping information page for approximate ship dates and more detailed information. If you have any questions, please call Customer Service at (801) 769-0300 or contact us by email or chat.

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Key Features

Light Requirements

  • Full Sun

Water Tolerance

Low-Water

Bloom Time

Late spring to summer

Advantages

  • Bee Friendly
  • Attracts Butterflies
  • Attracts Hummingbirds
  • Native
  • Naturalizes
  • Fragrant
  • Deer Resistant

Additional information

Mature Height

15-18" tall

Mature Spread

15-18" wide

Soil Type

  • Well-Drained Soil
  • Low Fertility Soil
  • Sandy Soil

Soil Moisture

  • Average
  • Waterwise

Planting Time

  • Fall

Awards

PPA Perennial Plant Of The Year

Native To

North America

Growing Zones

  • Zone 4
  • Zone 5
  • Zone 6
  • Zone 7
  • Zone 8
  • Zone 9

Neonicotinoid Free

Yes

Can Send To PO Box

No
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Overall rating: 4.8 / 5 from 5 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Summary topics

Review topics: ["size","plant","milkweed","growth"].

Review highlights

Reviews

Gorgeous!

"We ordered tubers during COVID (2020/2021) and they arrived completely dried up and shriveled. I had ZERO faith that anything would pop out of the tuber. 4 years later we have a gorgeous HUGE display or brilliant orange blossoms. The seeds from the pods have volunteered in other beds and landscaped areas. I have started some plants indoors from harvested seeds. If you are planting this in an irrigated location, just make sure you leave enough room as the plants get huge. This summer, we had two rounds of blossoms!"

— Berkeley P. (5/5)

Healthy and Strong!

"Two of three plants survived and are thriving. They are very slow growers, but they grow steadily and are sure to be lovely once they reach flowering. This has been my most successful purchase of butterfly weed and I am very happy. I plan to purchase more. I reccommend this grower for this particular plant."

— MISS H. (5/5)

Monarch habitat

"I plant several varieties of milkweed for the monarchs my tallest milkweed is about 8 foot tall and very hearty"

— Dorothy (4/5)

Great plants!!!

"Used the plant in a native butterfly garden. Butterfly weed is hard to transplant and move with the tap root. But HCG had healthy potted plants and were easy to transplant and grow."

— Dan (5/5)

Why aren't more folks raving about this plant?

"I am very surprised this is the first review of Asclepias tuberosa. When I received my plants in great health, they immediately exhibited vigorous growth, & bloomed in year one. In spring of season 2, I thought I'd lost all of them as nothing was emerging. About the time I sighed heavy sighs & was thinking of replacing them, I brushed aside some leaves from their planting site & each & every plant was pushing green shoots through the ground. I'm not a great gardener, so I like to plant plants that are tough, don't need pampering, and that will last a long time filling their ornamental space. Asclepias tuberosa does all those things and more. I've planted seven of these plants on my property, & lost only one, most likely because I planted in a too shady, too wet area. Every other plant is emerging with vigor & passion, & I expect strong blooms again this season, just as I have the past three. In the photos from 2020, you can see for yourself the incredible color and density of the plants. Colorado can be brutal on gardens & gardeners. It can freeze in late April (as it did for a week solid the same season I took these photos), & the site I planted these is super harsh -- little morning sun & plants have to endure the hottest exposure of the day from ~11:00 a. m. to 6:30 p. m. These are planted in a large bed next to our streetside driveway. My neighbors can't believe they bloom from June until nearly the end of July. They are fullest in mid to late June, right after most of my spring bloomers are long finished. They absolutely explode in rich pops of orange flowers contrasted against dense bushy dark green foliage. It's currently late May, & the plants are already one third their usual blooming size,giving every indication they'll be just as efflorescent this year. I'm now seeing volunteer plants, probably from roots, and I intend on keeping them all. We fertilize with liquid 20-20-20 once every two weeks, half strength. Probably too much, but look at 'em!"

— David W. (5/5)

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