{"product_id":"butterfly-weed","title":"Butterfly Weed","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"pd-title-head\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eAsclepias tuberosa\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sunny borders and dry banks, pollinator and monarch waystation plantings, prairie and meadow gardens, mass planting on lean soil, cutting gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e One of the few perennials that both feeds adult butterflies and raises their young, serving as nectar source and monarch host plant at once. Flat clusters of brilliant orange flowers open through midsummer on stiff, self-supporting stems, and a deep taproot carries the plant through heat and drought that flatten most border perennials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full Sun\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardy Perennial\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Upright, Clumping — stiff branching stems from a deep taproot\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Orange\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1–2.5 ft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1–1.5 ft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Early to late summer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Slow to Moderate\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no other orange like it in a summer garden. Butterfly Weed opens in a flat, saturated tangerine that carries across a yard and looks almost artificial next to the softer pinks and purples blooming around it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe plant is compact and upright, one to two and a half feet, with narrow dark green leaves running up stiff stems that never need staking. Flowering starts in early summer and repeats in flushes into late summer if spent heads are removed. Left alone, the flowers give way to slender pods that split open in fall and release silky seed on the wind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat sets it apart from other milkweeds is what it lacks: no milky sap running everywhere, no aggressive underground spreading, no five-foot stems. It stays where it is planted and behaves in a border, which is why it moved from the roadside into the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is also working the whole time it is in bloom. Adult butterflies, native bees, and hoverflies feed at the flowers, and monarch females lay eggs on the foliage for their caterpillars to eat. Few plants this size do that much.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eButterfly Weed Care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlant in full sun. Six hours minimum, and more is better. In shade the stems stretch, lean, and flower poorly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoil is where most Butterfly Weed is lost, and the mistake is usually kindness. This plant evolved on dry prairies and lean, sandy, gravelly ground. It wants sharp drainage above all else, and it will rot in heavy clay that stays wet in winter. Do not enrich the planting hole, and do not mulch heavily against the crown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWater regularly through the first season while the taproot goes down, then stop. Established plants are among the most drought-proof perennials you can grow and actively resent standing moisture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFertilizer is unnecessary and usually counterproductive. If the soil is genuinely exhausted, one light spring application of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/slow-release-fertilizer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eslow release fertilizer\u003c\/a\u003e is the most it should ever receive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTwo habits worth knowing. It emerges very late in spring — often weeks after everything around it — so mark the spot in fall and resist digging there. And it does not transplant once settled, because the taproot breaks. Choose the location carefully and leave it alone. Deadhead the first flush for a second round of bloom, or leave the pods for seed and winter interest, then cut stems to the ground in early spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Size is the Butterfly Weed for Sale Online?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur Butterfly Weed ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Large Does Butterfly Weed Grow?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eButterfly Weed reaches one to two and a half feet tall and spreads about one to one and a half feet wide, forming a tight upright clump rather than a running patch. Expect modest growth the first year while the taproot establishes, with full size from the second season onward. Space eighteen inches apart for a drift.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are some common names for this plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe most widely used names, in rough order of familiarity, are:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eButterfly weed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eButterfly milkweed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrange milkweed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePleurisy root\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChigger flower\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it support monarch butterflies?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYes, in both ways that matter. \u003cem\u003eAsclepias tuberosa\u003c\/em\u003e is a true milkweed, so monarch females lay eggs on it and the caterpillars feed on the foliage — monarchs cannot reproduce without a milkweed. The flowers also carry nectar for adult monarchs and a long list of native bees and other butterflies. Expect chewed leaves in a good year; that is the plant doing its job. See our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/native-plants\"\u003eNative Plants of North America\u003c\/a\u003e collection for more monarch and pollinator plants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy has my plant not come up yet in spring?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBecause it is one of the last perennials to break dormancy. Butterfly Weed commonly waits until well after the last frost, weeks behind its neighbors, and gardeners dig it up every year assuming it died. Mark the location in fall, be patient in spring, and give it until early summer before concluding anything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I move it or divide it later?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBest not to. The plant grows from a deep, brittle taproot rather than a fibrous root ball, and a move usually snaps it. Established plants rarely recover and division is not practical. Pick the spot with that in mind — the trade-off is that an undisturbed plant can live for decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow does it handle drought and deer?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eVery well on both counts. Once the taproot is down it needs no supplemental water through a dry summer, and the bitter sap means deer and rabbits almost always pass it by. See our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/drought-tolerant-plants\"\u003eDrought-Tolerant Plants\u003c\/a\u003e collection and our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/deer-resistant-perennials-grasses\"\u003edeer-resistant perennials and grasses\u003c\/a\u003e for more options that hold up in tough spots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Almanac Planting Co","offers":[{"title":"1 Gallon \/ Fall '26 Pre-Order","offer_id":47507181830306,"sku":"PN-BWEED-1-1yr","price":27.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9374\/6850\/files\/Image_Coming_Soon.png?v=1786804456","url":"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/butterfly-weed","provider":"Almanac Planting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}