Butterfly Weed (Butterfly Milkweed)

Name: Asclepias tuberosa L.



Native Range (North America-Centric)



Information

Butterfly weed is a wonderful pollinator friendly plant belonging to the milkweed family. Butterfly weed can be commonly found in open grassland and prairie environments. The plant grows, roughly, into a two foot round bush that can be covered in beautiful orange flowers. Medcinically, the root is said to have been utilized for breathing issues by both native americans and early settlers. Butterfly weed is drought tolerant and has been known to tolerate a wide variety of soil types. The plant prefers well draining soil. Butterfly weed is considered hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9.

Butterfly weed is a larval host for Monarch and Queen butterflies as well as Milkweed Tussock moth.

It is reported that if you want the best chances of attracting butterflies, to try and grow at least five plants in the same general vicinity.

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I have recently located a local greenhouse that grow out transplants of native plants. One of the options that I have happily stumbled upon is butterfly weed.

I have managed to plant two different spots on my homestead and hoping to see the plant thrive. Fingers crossed!

An interesting thing to consider with butterfly weed is that, ironically, the leaves are significantly less desirable for monarchs to lay their eggs on than common or swamp milkweed. Monarchs will still utilize them if given no other options, but I think a nearby planting of common milkweed could be beneficial if you're interested in having them.

I expect you know Asclepias edible uses, the cooked flower buds especially are sought after. Also roots, shoots, leaves (cooked several change of water)  seeds also ocassionally eaten (Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada 2009).

I have some sprouts of Asclepias incaranata, the easiest to import into New Zealand, they do not seem to be mentioned as often as tasty as some other  Asclepias, will see.

The seed silk can be used to stuff pillows, mattresses, and even woven into cloth of some sort.  Being naturally buoyant and water resistant it was used to make life jackets, it can also be used for insulation due to high heat retention.  

Kia ora David, and welcome. I'd be keen to get some seed of that species if you harvest any in the coming year. I grow a lot of hairy balls (swan plant) here and it seems to help the butterfly numbers.

I live on a ridge in West Virginia. All I had to do to get butterfly weed going in my main garden was--not pluck it out. When I first started my garden here, I tried the lasagna gardening technique, only to conclude I didn't have enough compost for that, so I gathered up the cardboard and mats, put down the compost, had my husband till it all in, then raked it into permanent beds with mats on the aisles. When I weeded, I noticed some seedlings I suspected were butterfly weed, so I left them alone. One of them regularly turns into a giant ball, a good three feet in diameter, covered with hundreds of orange flowers and dozens of butterflies.  It tolerates heavy dry soil but appreciates the good garden soil! I also now have yarrow, mullein, flower of an hour, and Joe Pye weed and ironweed, all volunteers, in my main garden. Some I have tried to eradicate, unsuccessfully so far--the ironweed and Joe Pyeweed are too big and I don't need three clumps of yarrow. I have a little trouble keeping the common milkweed--my husband keeps cutting it (we have to mow most of the clearing between fenced garden spaces, on account of chiggers). I've been gardening here 17 years now, and while I have trouble with fungal disease, I have very little trouble with insects, which I attribute to having so many host plants around (and not spraying).

According to the Native American Ethobotany Database, butterfly weed has usable bast fibers in its stems just like other species of milkweed. There's at least one ethnographic account cited on the page of the Cherokee using the bast fiber to make cordage to weave belts.
http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/filtered/?string=Asclepias+tuberosa&tribe=32&use_category=3

One thing I have to warn about this plant is that it seems to be a shorter lived perennial than either common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) or swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) based on the experiences of my nextdoor neighbor trying to start a wildflower garden. It might be a good idea to save as many seeds as possible from the plant in the Fall and sow them in other areas of a wildflower planting to encourage the plant to stay established.

Butterfly weed being short-lived seems unlikely to me--maybe your friend's wildflower garden is canted toward the kind of wildflowers that like rich soil and dappled shade. Mine are all in full sun. and they form thick yellow roots, which I often chop accidentally when working my main garden; then I can replant them, or give them away, or start one elsewhere.

My neighbor's soil is classified as clay loam bordering on silty-clay loam. Drainage is poor in many areas and the ground in some parts can get soggy during late Winter and early Spring. The poor drainage might explain why his plants keep dying, but I'm surprised since I've seen wild butterfly weed growing in thin, rocky soil before in an abandoned rock quarry. There might be certain ecotypes of the plant better suited to clay soil than others.

Ryan, I've actually seen mention of a strain of butterflyweed suited to clay soil--which I assume is what I have. But I think the poor drainage is probably the culprit.

There are quite a few milkweeds in the eastern part of US and the butterfly weed seems to be the most popular one. But other milkweeds are beautiful too. Together they providie a wide range of colors and a long blooming period. I use them in landscape and tree guilds except the common milkweed because it is basically a vigorous bush.

People raising monarch caterpillars like common milkweed because the leaves are huge and fuzzy. Young caterpillars can feed on the hairs. Recently the spring migration is going on in my area and I found caterpillars in various plants: the butterfly knows not to put all eggs in one basket! The young ones on common milkweed dwell in large flower clusters for food and protection. And those landed on smaller plants of swamp or purple milkweed, hide somewhere in the ground at night and travel up only when weather is good. So interesting.

I took a picture of monarch butterfly visiting a wild butterfly weed by the road. Only when I got home to inspect the picture that I found the caterpillar!