Butterfly Weed Plant Guide: How to Grow Butterfly Weed

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a species of perennial milkweed native to North America. This native plant is also known by the common names butterfly milkweed, orange milkweed, pleurisy root, and yellow milkweed. Butterfly weed is a cousin to other milkweed species in the Asclepias genus including common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), and whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata).

Butterfly weed plants have clusters of showy, bright orange flowers that are a rich nectar source, which makes them excellent for attracting pollinators like hummingbirds, honey bees, and butterflies like the hairstreak monarch butterfly. Butterfly weed is deer-resistant, has a bloom time from late spring to late summer, and is suitable for growing in the USDA Hardiness Zones three through nine.

With a few gardening tips in mind, growing butterfly weed is relatively easy.

1. 1. Place butterfly weed in full sun. Your butterfly weed plant will require full sun to thrive, so find an unobstructed location outdoors where it will receive plenty of light.
2. 2. Space your plants appropriately. Most milkweed plants have large, thick root systems, which means that it’s best to space your butterfly weed plants at least one to two feet apart. Their sturdy taproots and long roots make them difficult to transplant, so choose a location where you feel confident they will stay indefinitely.
3. 3. Plant butterfly weed in the fall or spring. Plant your butterfly weed plants in the spring once there’s no threat of frost to have full blooms by mid-summer. You can also plant them in the fall, which will give them a chance to establish during their winter dormancy period and bloom during the spring.
4. 4. Use slightly acidic soil. Butterfly weed is tolerant of most soils, but it will grow best in gravelly or sandy soil with added loam for mild acidity.

Butterfly weed plants are hardy plants and shouldn’t require much care. That said, there are a few tips to consider to make sure your plant stays healthy.

1. 1. Water mature plants sparingly. Butterfly weed does best in well-draining, dry soils with low soil moisture. When your new plants are getting established, keep them moist, and when your plants are mature, water them infrequently. To avoid overwatering, only water your plants when the soil becomes dry to the touch.
2. 2. Prune your plants as needed. Butterfly weed does not require much pruning or trimming; however, you can deadhead any dying or damaged flowers by pinching and removing them to promote new growth.
3. 3. Control pests with neem oil. Butterfly weed is very pest-resistant. Common pests like aphids or whiteflies may feed on your butterfly weed, but they can be treated with neem oil.
4. 4. Allow monarch caterpillars to grow on your butterfly weed. You may find monarch caterpillars using the leaves of your butterfly weed as a host plant; in time, the caterpillars will transform into monarch butterflies.

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