Scientific Name Asclepias tuberosa Common Name Butterfly weed

Perennial Flowers Consumer Hort Index - Fact Sheets

Characteristics Season spring, summer Height 24-36 inches Hardiness USDA Hardiness Zone 4-9 Flower Color orange, red, yellow Soil dry, well drained Exposure full sun Propagation seed North Carolina Regions Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plain Comments Butterfly weed serves as an adult nectar source and a larval food source for the Monarch butterfly. Seed of cultivars such as 'Gay Butterflies' may contain pure yellow and bright red individuals, but the typical orange color predominates. Origin North America, North Carolina

Prepared by: orginally by Alice B. Russell, retired Extension Specialist, NC State University
                     maintained and expanded by Erv Evans, Consumer Horticulturist, NC State University

Images: ©Alice B. Russell and Erv Evans

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