Butterfly Milkweed Feeds Monarchs & Fills Your Yard With Blazing Orange Blooms
With its fiery orange blooms, this native perennial turns any yard into a monarch nursery.
- Monarch Host Plant: Monarch caterpillars can only eat milkweed, and this is one of the best natives for the job! Plus, native bees and hummingbirds love the nectar.
- Cold Hardy: Gardeners well into the north can enjoy this lovely pollinator perennial, Butterfly Milkweed thrives in zones 3-9.
- Drought Tolerant: Deep main taproots make this plant tolerant of droughts and dry spells, it can even thrive in sandy soils.
- Rabbit & Deer Resistant: Rabbits and deer don't like to munch on their leaves, making this perfect for low-pest gardens
- Compact & Clumping: Butterfly milkweed grows well-behaved in compact clumps that reach a mature size of 1-2 feet tall and wide
Butterfly milkweed, also known simply as Butterfly Weed, is native across most of the United States, including our state of Florida, where it grows wild in our sandy pine forests. That highlights what these perennials love: full sun, at least six hours a day, and soil that drains fast. Unlike a lot of flowering plants, butterfly milkweed can grow just fine in sand and light clay soils. Enjoy their bright orange blooms every year from late spring through late summer, typically from May into late August!
Why Monarchs Love Orange Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa is often cited as the best milkweed for attracting and supporting monarch butterfly populations. This perennial is known as a "host plant" for monarchs because it is an essential food source for these pollinators when they are in their caterpillar to survive and develop.
Quick Care Guide
This native is tough, and asks for very little in terms of care. With some quick notes on planting location and soil, you and the monarch butterflies of your neighborhood will be able to enjoy the blooms of this perennial for decades.
- Sunlight: Full sunlight, be sure to plant in a garden location with at least 6 hours of direct sun a day for the best growth.
- Soil: Orange Butterfly Weed grows best in well-draining soil. Amending slow draining dirt with perlite or sand is optimal for their roots
- Watering: Be sure to water regularly for the first season while the taproot settles. After they are established Orange milkweed is exceptionally drought tolerant.
- Fertilizer: Fertilizer needs are very low. A light feeding in early spring is generally all that is needed for these shrubs to thrive!
Why Buy Butterfly Milkweed Online from Perfect Plants?
A lot of milkweed sold online are just seed packets, tiny plugs, or plants drop shipped that the seller never laid eyes on. Perfect Plants Nursery is based in sunny north Florida and we are a true farm. Family run since 1980, we care for and personally grow or handle every plant we ship out to our customers. We ship rooted and grown Asclepias tuberosa right to your front door from our nursery beds. Meaning you get a well-established plant right away without having to wait for seeds to germinate and slowly grow.