Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
With a name like Butterfly Weed, you may be tempted to skip it and move on to nicer-sounding options. But do not be fooled – this milkweed is actually a gem in the rough. It is a host plant for monarch butterflies, and it belongs in every sunny garden in Texas. Its bright orange blooms are attractive and hard to overlook. It is very drought tolerant due to a long taproot, and nothing seems to bother it as long as it is in the right spot.
Although it is an aphid magnet, they never seem to do any permanent damage. Many bugs seem attracted to it, including milkweed bugs, but the Butterfly Weed always seems to win. It is a must-have in a butterfly garden and does very will in meadows, prairies, sunny borders, or naturalized areas.
AT A GLANCE
| Texas native | Yes |
| Water use | Low |
| Sun exposure | Full sun to part sun |
| Bloom color | Orange |
| Bloom time | Spring, summer |
| Mature height | 1-2.5 ft |
| Mature spread | 1-2 ft |
| Attracts | Butterflies, hummingbirds |
| Host plant | Grey Hairstreak, Monarch, Queen |
| Deer resistant | Yes |
| Poisonous | Roots, sap. Toxic only if eaten in large quantities. |
| Notes | Bumble, honey and native bee friendly. Attracts beneficial insects. |
DISTRIBUTION MAPS
 Present in state |
 Present in county and native |
 Native to North America, but adventive & escaped in state |
 Not present in state |
 Present and rare, native in county |
 Previously present, now extinct |
 Questionable presence (cross-hatched, regardless of color) |