Native plant growing guide
Butterfly weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Sun
Full sun
Season
Warm
Maturity
1 to 2 years
Water
Low
Soil pH
5.5 to 7.5
Spacing
12 to 18 in
Planting butterfly weed
Sow in fall, or cold-stratify seed for a few weeks before spring sowing. Set out transplants in spring, and mark the spot because plants emerge late.
Planting details
- Spacing: 12 to 18 inches
- Leafs out weeks after other perennials; mark the location
- Deep taproot resents transplanting once established
Growing requirements
Butterfly weed wants full sun and sandy, fast-draining soil. Unlike most milkweeds it stays compact in a garden bed, and its taproot shrugs off drought once established.
Harvesting and care
Cut stems back after a hard frost or leave them for winter structure. Expect late spring emergence rather than assuming the plant died, and keep heavy mulch off the crown.
Common mistakes
- Digging up the plant in May, before its late emergence
- Planting into wet or heavy clay without improving drainage
- Expecting blooms the first season from seed, which sometimes skips a year
Companion plants
Black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, and little bluestem share its dry, sunny conditions. It also earns a spot near vegetable beds purely as a pollinator draw.