FNPS Plant Database

Asclepias tuberosa

butterflyweed, orange milkweed
  • Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
  • Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Eleanor Dietrich, Magnolia Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Eleanor Dietrich, Magnolia Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

butterflyweed, orange milkweed

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Asclepias tuberosa

Family:

Apocynaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

1 to 2 ft tall by 0.5 to 1.5 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

orange

Fruit Color:

green

Phenology:

winter dormant

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Wildflower garden, meadow.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

Can be grown from seed with seed being commercially available.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

-|----|----|----|----|----|----|---- <--------------------> -|-

Not wet but not extremely dry ---to--- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic to neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Hummingbirds

Attracts butterflies, bees, other insects.





Larval host to the monarch butterfly ( Danaus plexippus ), queen butterfly ( Danaus gilippus ) and soldier butterfly, ( Danaus eresimus ).  Despite its name, this is not the preferred larval host of the monarch.

Reported to attract hummingbirds.

Native Habitats:

Sandhill, clayhill, scrub, ruderal

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

The species was important medicianally for several Indian tribes.

General Comments:

Sometimes difficult to establish in new areas, but definitely worth the effort.

Citations:

Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Hammer, Roger. 2015.  Attracting hummingbirds and butterflies in tropical Florida.  University Presses of Florida.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2012.  Native wildflowers and other ground covers for Florida landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Minno, Marc and Maria Minno.  1999.  Florida butterfly gardening.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville.



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native Plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Tras, Pamela. 2001.  Gardening for Florida's butterflies.  Great Outdoors Publishing, St. Petersburg, FL.



University of Tennessee Extension Service.  Desired Ph Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants.    https://extension.tennessee.edu/mtnpi/Documents/handouts/Fertility/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf   accessed 2021.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu /).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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