Butterfly-weed

Plant Info

Also known as:	Butterfly Milkweed
Scientific name:	Asclepias tuberosa
Family:	Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun; dry fields, prairies
Bloom season:	spring, summer
Plant height:	1 to 2 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Flat-topped clusters 2 to 3 inches across of up to 25 individual 3/8-inch flowers. Individual flowers have 5 downward-curved petals. Flower color is primarily orange, but ranges from yellow to red, usually with a yellow center.

Leaves:

Leaves are toothless, 2 to 6 inches long, about 1 inch wide, pointed at the tip; alternating attachment up the stem.

Fruit:

Erect narrow seed pod about 6 inches long, covered in fine hairs. One plant may have a cluster of several pods. Seeds are large and brown with silken “parachutes” to carry them away. See additional photos below.

Notes:

Often found along railroad beds growing in clumps. A host plant for Monarch butterfly catepillars, the flower is a favorite for many other butterflies as well.

More photos

• a small patch in the middle of a field
• a burst seed pod
• a plant with both flowers and pods

All photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park in New Brighton, MN, June-August 2006.

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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