The Well-Tended Perennial Garden The Essential Guide to Planting and Pruning Techniques, Third Edition

Asclepias tuberosa

butterfly weed

apocynaceae

Orange flowers; narrow foliage

2–3 ft. high; 2 ft. wide

Full sun

Blooms June–August

Zones 4–9

pruning Deadheading results in

rebloom about a month after initial

flowering. Allowing some of the

second bloom phase to mature into

the ornamental fruit prolongs the

season of interest. It is a heavy seeder.

The fruit should be removed before it

splits and spills the seeds, if seeding is

not desired. Do not prune for the

winter, cut back in the spring.

other maintenance Butterfly

weed is a native prairie plant that

tolerates poor, dry soil and is drought

tolerant. Well-draining soil is essen-

tial, particularly in the winter. Prefers

acid soil. Can be slow to establish but

is long-lived once it takes hold. Late to

emerge in the spring. Divide in the

spring only when new growth starts.

Division is difficult due to the taproot,

but fortunately it’s seldom needed.

Mulching helps prevent frost heaving.

Low-maintenance plant. Do not collect

from the wild.

Asclepias tuberosa