Asclepias tuberosa
Butterfly weed is a member of the iilkweed family and is a native to Eastern North America. It can reach up to 3 feet tall with bright orange flowers that help this plant stand out in the landscape. Butterflies are drawn to the flowers and it is a host plant for some caterpillars, including the Monarch. It performs well as a cut flower. This plant is slow to emerge from dormancy in the spring and does not transplant well.
Attracts these butterflies: Common Buckeye, Giant Swallowtail, Great Spangled Fritillary, Monarch, Pearl Crescent, Pipevine Swallowtail, Queen, Variegated Fritillary, Banded Hairstreak, Delaware Skipper, Bronze Copper, Gray Hairstreak , Little Glassywing, Peck’s Skipper, and more.