Butterfly weed is a milkweed that blazes.
Flat-topped clusters of bright orange to yellow-orange flowers crown its stems in summer, [1a] and every bloom carries the little hoods and horns typical of milkweeds. [1b] Unlike most of its relatives, its sap is clear rather than milky. [1c]
It grows wild in dry, rocky open woods, glades, prairies, fields and roadsides across eastern and southern North America and into Mexico. [1d] Its species name, tuberosa, refers to its tuberous roots. [1e] Plants form upright clumps one to three feet tall. [1f] The flowers draw many butterflies, [1g] and the leaves feed the caterpillars of the monarch, queen and gray hairstreak butterflies and the milkweed tussock moth. [1h] The Perennial Plant Association named it Perennial Plant of the Year for 2017. [1i]
Give it full sun and average to dry, well-drained soil; [1j] it thrives where many plants struggle and tolerates drought and some salt. [1k] Be patient: seedlings may take two to three years to bloom. [1l] A deep taproot makes it hard to move, so choose its spot carefully. [1m] Wear gloves when handling it, since the sap can irritate skin. [1n] At Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City, where it is a native wildflower, [2a] it grows in the prairie and waterwise gardens. [2]
