Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa Family: Asclepiadaceae (milkweed) Height: 12­36 inches Color: Orange Soil type: Sand or Loam Bloom: June-September Moisture: Dry Sun: Full

Miscellaneous: Produces a very deep taproot making transplanting difficult. The stem, when broken, does not produce the milky white sap characteristic of the milkweed plant family. Use in rock gardens, roadsides, mass plantings, borders. Most flowers on the prairie are yellow, pink/blue, or white. Butterfly Milkweed is unusual in being pure orange. Treasured by adult butterflies for its nectar and as a food source for young caterpillars. Its tube shaped bunches of flowers provides nectar during a transitional period when nectar producing flowers are relatively scarce. At least six of our butterflies love them - the eastern black swallowtail, tiger swallowtail, monarch, queen, great spangled fritillary and checkered white. The herbal name for butterfly weed is Pleurisy Root. The root is used for ailments involving the lungs and upper respiratory problems. It's also good for indigestion and "gassy stomach." Native Americans used this root to treat bronchitis, pneumonia, and diarrhea. Seed Harvest and Propagation: Seed Collection: Sept.­Oct. Seed Treatment: Dry stratification Propagation: Plant seed 1ˇ2" deep in spring. Butterfly Weed may take up to two years to become established from seed. Native Distribution: Prairies and upland woods, southern New Hampshire to Florida, west to Minnesota, South Dakota, Arizona, and Mexico.