Asclepias Gay Butterfly Milkweed

Asclepias Gay Butterfly Milkweed is a dazzling native wildflower that grows 18 to 24 inches tall, blooming throughout summer and into fall. This milkweed variety features compact, bushy growth and vibrant clusters of orange, red, and yellow flowers. Beloved by pollinators, the blooms provide nectar for butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial insects, while the narrow, lance-shaped leaves serve as a vital food source for monarch caterpillars. Following the flowers, decorative seedpods add interest to the late-season garden as well as autumn arrangements and dried floral displays.

An Asclepias tuberosa species, commonly known as milkweed or butterfly weed, Gay Butterfly is a hardy perennial suited to Zones 4-9. Perfect for wildflower meadows, prairies, and modern gardens, these plants create eye-catching drifts and thrive in butterfly gardens, native plantings, rock gardens, and containers. Butterfly weed is excellent for naturalizing, erosion control, and colorful borders.

Low maintenance and adaptable, Gay Butterfly milkweed thrives in sunny spots with average, dry to medium moist, well-draining soil but tolerates poor, dry, and sandy conditions. It is drought-tolerant and deer and rabbit resistant, making it a dependable choice for any landscape. Once established, butterfly weed requires minimal care but does not transplant well, so choose your planting location wisely.

Plant Gay Butterfly roots in spring, spacing them 12 inches apart and 1½ to 2 inches deep.

A true native, milkweed or butterfly weed originates from prairies and grasslands across North America, from Maine to South Dakota to the Southwest. Native plants like this are eco-friendly, thriving without fertilizers or additional watering. They also reduce the need for pesticides, promote biodiversity, and provide essential resources for wildlife and pollinators, creating a thriving garden.

Sap may cause skin irritation.