North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Asclepias tuberosa

Asclepias tuberosa L.

butterfly milkweed

Cultivar(s): Gay Butterflies

Image ID: 8785
Image by: Ware, Richard & Teresa
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: ASTU
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Asclepias tuberosa
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-01-04

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
240	Gay Butterflies	View

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: ASCLE
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Asclepias
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Milkweed
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 100 species, herbs, temperate and tropical, of North and Central America.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Woodson (1954)=Z; Turner (2009b)=Y; Farmer & Bell (1985)=X.

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: APOCYN
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Apocynaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Dogbane Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: As here circumscribed including the Asclepiadaceae, a family of about 480 genera and about 4800 species, lianas, shrubs, herbs, and trees, widespread in tropical and temperate areas. There appears to be overwhelming evidence favoring the combination of the Asclepiadaceae into the Apocynaceae; see, for instance, Rosatti (1989), Sennblad & Bremer (1996), and many others.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Rosatti (1989); Liede (1997a).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect to ascending perennial of woodland margins, roadsides and pastures.
STEMS: Stems often several from a single woody taproot, mostly unbranched, sometimes tinged reddish-purple, rough with stiff hairs.
LEAVES: Leaves alternate, short-petiolate, narrowly oblong to lance-shaped, to 4 in. long, hairy.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers in terminal and upper axillary compound umbels, orange or reddish-orange, about 1/2 in. long, consisting of 5 strongly reflexed corolla lobes and a central crown--composed of 5 2-parted appendages (“hood” and “horn”)--surrounding another complex structure of fused anthers and style.
FRUITS: Fruit an erect, narrowly spindle-shaped follicle containing tufted seeds.
COMMENTS: The sap of this milkweed is clear, not milky. A native over much of the eastern U.S., it is a popular garden plant. Nectar-rich flowers attract many pollinators.
HEIGHT: 1-3 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Deciduous

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: May-August

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
				x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: Orange

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
			x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Disturbed, Woods margins
NATIVE RANGE: United States & eastern Canada

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Butterfly milkweed is a common roadside wildflower in our area, and like other members of Asclepias genus, is a host to monarch butterfly caterpillars. The distinctive linear leaves and bright orange flowers make butterfly milkweed a standout in summer. Its modest size provides a splash of color without overwhelming small spaces. Drought tolerant and deer resistant, this plants is a “must have” to support Monarch butterflies and up to 12 species of lepidoptera! 1985 N.C. Wildflower of the Year.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Well-drained
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE: 2
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
163	HORT	2007-04-05	Bryan	View
231	HORT	2009-09-25	Kunz	View
374	HORT	2010-11-16	Schubert	View
970	HORT	1996-11-20		View
1099	HORT	2006-11-26	Wilbur-Brooks	View
1128	HORT	2006-11-24	Kunz	View
1329	HORT	2006-08-14	Bryan	View
1428	HORT	2006-08-18	Bryan	View
1475	HORT	2006-10-01	Bryan	View
1500	HORT	2006-06-01	Bryan	View
1721	HORT	2005-01-01	Bryan	View
1726	HORT	2005-01-01	Bryan	View
1829	HORT	2006-10-01	Bryan	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
162	2008-0001	2008-01-09	163	View
232	2011-0060	2011-04-05	231	View
370	2011-0243	2011-11-29	374	View
2156	1986-1964			View
2905	1987-0438			View
4618	1992-0774			View
5240	1995-0359			View
5454	1995-0577			View
5948	1995-1078			View
7516	2000-0276	2000-09-18		View
8169	2004-0180	2006-05-19		View
9024	1996-0232	0000-00-00	970	View
9365	2021-0028	2021-04-05	0	View
9663	2023-0111	2023-12-05		View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
324	162	142	Liloia	2008-01-09	View
325	162	159	Stern	2008-01-09	View
326	162	155	Stern	2008-01-09	View
329	162	81	Wenck	2008-01-16	View
485	232	31	NCBG staff	2011-03-29	View
486	232	32	NCBG staff	2011-03-29	View
487	232	41	NCBG staff	2011-03-29	View
488	232	19	Poythress	2011-05-03	View
489	232	29	Poythress	2011-04-07	View
490	232	32	Poythress	2011-04-07	View
491	232	44	NCBG staff	2011-05-10	View
493	232	41	Liloia	2011-07-29	View
494	232	44	Liloia	2011-08-02	View
495	232	23	Liloia	2011-08-02	View
898	370	43	NCBG staff	2011-11-02	View
899	370	34	NCBG staff	2011-11-01	View
3711	2156	54	NCBG staff	1986-12-23	View
3712	2156	55	NCBG staff	1986-12-23	View
3713	2156	59	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
4816	2905	8	NCBG staff	1978-10-01	View
6947	4618	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
7693	5240	203	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
7968	5454	204	NCBG staff	1993-01-01	View
8509	5948	2	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
9317	9024	142	Liloia	1967-12-31	View
10544	7516	146	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
10545	7516	142	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
10546	7516	27	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
10547	7516	115	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
10548	7516	6	NCBG staff	1986-12-22	View
10549	7516	8	NCBG staff	1996-03-28	View
10550	7516	81	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
10551	7516	81	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
10552	7516	83	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
10553	7516	139	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
11425	8169	81	NCBG staff	2003-07-30	View
12165	232	40	Mixon	2012-05-31	View
12575	9365	228	Wait	2020-06-25	View
12576	9365	229	Wait	2020-06-25	View
12978	0	198	MacIntyre	0000-00-00	View
13134	0	15	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
13135	0	16	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
13171	9365	91	Briggs	2022-05-31	View
13182	9365	37	Wait	2021-11-23	View
14003	9662	29	Mixon	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: ASTU
USDA Common Name: Butterfly Milkweed
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV), CAN (ON, QC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME:
COMMON NAME:
SYNONYMY:
PHENOLOGY:
HABITAT:
COMMENTS:
RANGE MAP:

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Apocynaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Dogbane Family)
SUMMARY: As here circumscribed including the Asclepiadaceae, a family of about 480 genera and about 4800 species, lianas, shrubs, herbs, and trees, widespread in tropical and temperate areas. There appears to be overwhelming evidence favoring the combination of the Asclepiadaceae into the Apocynaceae; see, for instance, Rosatti (1989), Sennblad & Bremer (1996), and many others.
REFERENCE: Rosatti (1989); Liede (1997a).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Asclepias L. (Milkweed)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 100 species, herbs, temperate and tropical, of North and Central America.
REFERENCE: Woodson (1954)=Z; Turner (2009b)=Y; Farmer & Bell (1985)=X.

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Asclepias tuberosa in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Asclepias tuberosa in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Asclepias tuberosa in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Asclepias tuberosa in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Asclepias tuberosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Asclepias tuberosa

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 8785 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 10294 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 8785 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)