Butterfly Milkweed is a native wildflower commonly seen in prairies. The leaves on this perennial are long and narrow, which is a unique shape for most perennial flowers. The reddish colored buds on this plant open to orange flowers. The large orange flower clusters are known for attracting birds, and butterfly’s to landscapes. Since there are not of orange flowering perennials for zone 5, this plant is unique. The flowers are relatively small in size and are bunched together to form a large flower cluster. Each flower extends from the stem of the perennial on a long trunk, giving the flower some height off of the plant. The center of the flower is yellow.
Butterfly Milkweed blooms in late summer and displays fragrant blooms through the end of summer. This perennial plant is drought resistant and does well in most types of soil. This perennial is low maintenance since it doesn’t get too large.
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Plant Type- Perennial
Flower Color- Orange
Foliage Color- Green
Growth Habit- Round
Growth Rate- Fast
Zone- 4-9
Height- 2′-3′
Spread- 18″-24″
Light- Sun
Details- Bright orange flower clusters. This flower attracts a wide variety of insects, butterflies, and birds. Has a large tap-root that helps increase drought tolerance. Divide clumps every three years in the spring.
Other Butterfly Weed plant options.
- Cinderella Milkweed
- Gay Butterflies Milkweed
- Red Butterflies Milkweed
- Silky Gold Milkweed