Orange Butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa
Additional Information
Orange milkweed or Butterfly milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa, grows two to three feet tall and one to three feet wide. It is a slow grower. Latin "tuberosa" meaning full of protuberances. Throughout the years, it will form a larger root mass. More protuberances produce more stems. It prefers moist to dry conditions and grows in full Sun to partial shade. There will be fewer blooms towards more shaded areas. Asclepias tuberosa in Florida has orange blossoms. Asclepias tuberosa is a short-lived perennial. During the Autumn it will begin to die back. This with dwindling nectar plants prompt the Monarchs into migration. In the Spring it will send up new stems to begin the cycle again.
This milkweed is an excellent nectar source for pollinators and butterflies. It truly lives up to its name Butterfly Milkweed.
Larval host to the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) and soldier butterfly, (Danaus eresimus). Despite its name, this is not the preferred larval host of the monarch.
Asclepias tuberosa grows in 41 states and 2 provinces in Canada. (USDA.gov)
