Butterfly Weed Care Guide
Butterfly Weed is a must have for any garden that wants to attract an array of winged beauties to it! Perfect for poor soil conditions and very easy to maintain.
Butterfly Weed
(Asclepias tuberosa)
A great perennial addition to any garden to attract all types of pollinators! Tends to grow more like a bush vis its other milkweed relatives and tends to stay on the smaller size. Glossy coarse leaves that are drought tolerant once mature. Keep watered well for the first year. Flowers bloom from yellowy orange to dark orange with multiple flower bunches per plant.
Native to most of the US and Canada! To prevent spreading cut pods off (if not collecting seeds), cover pods with organza bags/wrap with bands, collect seed pods as soon as they start to open and remove new growth from ground while still small.
DO NOT use any form of pesticides including "natural" methods. They will all be detrimental to the Monarch caterpillars. To remove aphids/milkweed bugs spay off with water hose.
While not as toxic as other milkweed species its still best to keep away from children and pets. Toxic is large amounts if ingested. Protect eyes from sap when handling.
Seed Planting Instructions:
Easiest Method- Directly sow seeds in late fall early winter into flowerbed/soil and cover with 1/4 inch of soil. Thin seedlings in spring to 1-2 feed apart.
More Controlled Method- 4 weeks before planting place seeds in a thin layer onto damp paper towel (best to use distilled water), fold, place in plastic zip bag/air tight container and place in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. After 4 weeks of cold stratifying, plant in seed starter mix. If temperatures are below 60 degrees, start seeds indoors on seed mat. If above they can be directly sowed outdoors. Germination can take up to 4 weeks depending on temperatures.
Planting Requirements
Plant in full sun
Soil: Dry well draining soil, sand, clay & loam
Moisture: Fairly dry (Once established)
Hardiness Zone: 3-9
Hight: 1-2 feet
Spacing: 12-18 inches
Blooms from June to August
New plants can bloom 1st-3rd year
USDA, NRCS. 2022. PLANTS Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/, 02/09/2022). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
