Home Prairie and Wetland Center
16245 S US Hwy 71
Belton, MO 64012
Tel: (816) 331-9738
Fax: (816) 331-9739

Asclepias tuberosa

Butterfly Milkweed

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Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Milkweed)

Lots of bright orange, flat-topped flower clusters bloom atop stout stems for many weeks in late spring through summer. This milkweed is a host plant for the monarch butterfly and a great nectar source for many other butterflies and pollinators. This is a great garden plant, common in well-drained prairies and open savannahs.

Additional Information:


Height
18-24 Inches

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Spread
24- Inches

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Bloom/Seasonal Color
Red Orange


USDA Hardiness Zone 4-9

Home Owner Growing and Maintenance Tips:

Good Companions
Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis), Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens), Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)

Characteristics & Attributes

Critter Resistance

Deer Resistant

Hydrologic Designation

UPL

Nature Attracting

Beneficial Insects
Hummingbird
Butterfly

Root

Taproot

Season of Interest

Mid (May-June)
Late (July-frost)

Soil Moisture

Average

Special Uses

Fragrant
Dried Flower
Fresh Cut Flower

Sun Exposure

Full Sun

USFS MO Ecological Map

Wildlife Benefit

Butterfly Nectar
Butterfly Host