Asclepias tuberosa
Asclepias tuberosa butterfly weed
This gorgeous flower starts blooming in June and persists throughout the summer attracting many kinds of butterflies. The flower is constructed such that if a butterfly or a bee find the nectar, they must pollinate the plant. The height of the plant varies depending on which habitat it grows in. The seedpods are spindle-shaped.
Habitat & Range
Frequent in dry fields, roadsides, and shale barrens.
Present throughout the state, with most populations in the south.
Wetland code: Not classified
Phenology
Flowers from late June through August.
Characteristics
Flowers yellow to orange-red
Leaves mostly alternate or opposite on the branches, sessile
Stems erect or ascending, hairy and frequently branched above; juice not milky
Plant Codes
S-rank: S5 (Secure)
G-rank: G5 (Secure)
Asclepias tuberosa butterfly weed
Asclepias tuberosa gallery
Plant Life-Form
perennial forb
Common Names
butterfly weed
butterfly milkweed
