– Local native deciduous
perennial found in prairies
throughout North America
– One of eight locally native milkweed species
– Bright orange flowers from May to September
– Larval host for Monarch and Queen butterflies
Save the monarchs. Save the world. Plants in the asclepias genus don’t just sustain migrating monarchs as they pass through Central Texas in the spring: they also provide critical nectar and pollen for bumblebees and other native pollinators, attract beneficial insects, and sustain over twenty species of moth and butterfly caterpillar in addition to the charismatic Monarch we all know and love. Also called pleurisy root, Asclepias tuberosa has distinctive bright orange flowers, clear latex sap (instead of “milky” sap like other milkweeds), and a long history of medicinal uses by indigenous Americans in its native range. Plant native milkweeds like this one in order to avoid interfering with the monarch migration and contributing to OE, the parasitic disease epidemic that is currently harming migrating monarch populations in North America.
Light: Full sun to part shade
Height: 12″ – 30″
Width: 12″ – 30″
Hardiness Zone: 3
