Asclepias tuberosa (Butterflyweed)

A confirmed deer-resistant, highly drought-tolerant specialist with an exceptionally deep root system, butterflyweed is a documented larval host that also draws hummingbirds and serves as a rich nectar source - genuine ecological substance behind one of the most widely recognized native pollinator plants in American gardens.

Species Overview

Asclepias tuberosa, or butterflyweed, is a tuberous-rooted perennial native to dry, sandy prairies, open woods, and roadsides, typically growing 1 to 2 feet tall. Unlike most milkweeds, it lacks milky sap, instead producing clusters of vivid orange flowers continuously from May through September.

Application

• Dry, sandy, drought-prone restoration - thrives where other perennials struggle
• Monarch and pollinator larval host habitat
• Deer-pressured pollinator garden plantings
• Hummingbird nectar plantings

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Dry, sandy or rocky, well-drained soils
• Growth Rate: Slow
• Drought Tolerance: High
• Flood Tolerance: None - Adapted to dry, sandy, well-drained soil; known to struggle or rot in wet conditions and does not tolerate standing water.
• Shade Tolerance: Intolerant
• Plant Type: Forb
• Mature Height: 1-2 ft.
• Fall Color: Insignificant/None
• Bloom Color / Period: Orange; May-September
• Wetland Indicator Status: NI (No Indicator)
• Native Range: Northeast/Mid-Atlantic (partial - West Virginia through Connecticut)
• Hydrology: Dry
• Salinity Tolerance: None
• Growth Habit: Clumping/Mounding - bushy, branched from a taproot
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-10
• Deer Resistance: Yes (Rarely Damaged)
• Root Depth: Very Deep (36 in.+)
• Pollinator Value: Larval host, supports bees, supports butterflies, supports hummingbirds, nectar source

Planting Guidance

• Difficult to transplant due to its very deep taproot - site permanently while young and mark planting locations, since it emerges from dormancy later than many other perennials.