Asclepias tuberosa
Common Name(s):
Butterfly milkweed
Orange milkweed
Synonym:
Butterflyweed
Flower:
Orange
Blooms :
May
to:
Sep
Corolla lobes reflexed back, 5 hood-like appendages folded inward, each containing a small exerted horn
Botanical Description
Fragrant?
YES
Family:
Asclepiadaceae
Herbaceous Plant, Perennial
Foliage:
Green
Leaves alternate, 1-4" long, lanceolate
Fall Color?
YES
Leaves turn yellow, seed pods mature and split open
Deciduous
Photo by:
Heading 6
Persisten upright stems with slender decorative seedpods
Oregon Native?
NO
West State Native?
YES
Origins:
Easterm United States
Site Selection
Minimum USDA Hardiness Zone:
3
Water Needs:
L
Sun Needs:
Full Sun
Deer Resistant?
YES
Firewise?
YES
Height:
1-3'
Spread:
1-2'
Growth Rate:
Slow
Native Habitat:
Prairies, canyons, hillsides
Soil:
Sandy, well-drained
Care Recommendations
Maintenance Level:
Low
Fertilizer:
None is really needed
Mulch:
Gravel, crushed stone, pine bark
Divide if needed
Long Term:
Winter:
Can mulch with straw or pine needles, stalks can be cut back completely or left intact for wildlife
Spring:
Mainly cutting back old stems
Summer:
Water deeply infrequently, give 6+ hours sun, deadhead for more blooms
Fall:
Cut back stems to ground in late fall, stop watering
General Care Comments:
Low maintenance plant, plant in full sun, likes poor sandy or gravelly soil, avoid over watering, do not move
Common Problems
Self seeding, attracts aphids
Diseases:
Crown rot, root rot, rust, leaf spot, cucumber mosaic virus
Insects:
Yellow-orange oleander aphids, red and black large milkweed bugs, small milkweed bugs, thrips, spider-mites
Environmental Problems:
Needs excellent drainage to prevent rots
Pests:
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