FNPS Plant Database

Asclepias tuberosa

butterflyweed, orange milkweed

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Nomenclature

Common Name:

butterflyweed, orange milkweed

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Asclepias tuberosa

Family:

Apocynaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

1-2 ft tall by 0.5-1.5 ft wide

Life Span:

short-lived perennial

Flower Color:

orange

Fruit Color:

green

Phenology:

winter dormant

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Wildflower garden, meadow.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Plant 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:

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Loam, Sand

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:

Hummingbirds
Reported to attract hummingbirds.
Pollinators, Caterpillars, Butterflies, Bees

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.

Native Habitats:

Sandhill, clayhill, scrub, ruderal

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

The species was important medicianally for several groups of indigenous Native American people.

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, Gainesville.


Huegel, Craig N. 2012. Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Minno, Marc and Maria Minno. 1999. Florida Butterfly Gardening: A Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Butterflies. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Nelson, Gil. 2003. Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


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


University of Tennessee Extension Service. 2010. Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf, accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants. https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ , accessed 2025. Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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