Butterfly weed
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| Asclepias tuberosa L. |
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa, also called pleurisy root) is a species of milkweed native to eastern North America. It is a perennial plant growing to 0.6-2 m (1 -2 feet) tall, with clustered orange or yellow flowers from early summer to early fall. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, 5-12 cm long and 2-3 cm broad.
This plant favors dry, sand or gravel soil, but has also been reported on stream margins.
The common name comes from the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. Butterfly weed is also the larval food plant of the Queen butterfly.
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[edit] Identification
The plant looks similar to the Lanceolate milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata), however the Butterfly weed is uniquely identified by the larger number of flowers and hairy stems that are not milky when broken. It is most commonly found in fields with dry soil.
[edit] Other common names
Canada-root, Chiggerflower, Indian posy, Orange-root, Orange swallowwort, Tuberroot, Whiteroot, Windroot, Yellow or Orange milkweed.
[edit] Subspecies indicated
- Asclepias tuberosa interior, Central United States.
- Asclepias tuberosa rolfsii (Rolfs Milkweed), Southeast United States.
- Asclepias tuberosa tuberosa, Eastern United States.
 Entire plant from the ground to the flower |
 A flower head closeup |
 Closeup showing unopened, opening, and fully opened flower buds |
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[edit] External links
- Butterfly weed brief information and pictures
- USDA information
- A Wikimanual of Gardening: Asclepias tuberosa
- Missouri Botanical Garden Asclepias tuberosa (native plant without Milky Stems)
- Missouri Botanical Garden Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow' (cultivar with Milky Stems)
[edit] References
- Peterson, Roger Tory, Margaret McKenny (1968). A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-183251.
