10/27/2025
After last week's Texas Native Plant Week, we return to our weekly native Plant of the Week celebration. This week we champion Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), also known as Orange Milkweed, Butterflyweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower, or Chiggerweed.
It grows up to 2 ft in height and may spread to 2 ft. It disappears about this time every year, but it will return. This milkweed, like its cousins, provides nectar and pollen to butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and many insects. It is a host to Monarch, Queen, and Grey Hairstreak butterflies.
If you do decide to grow Butterfly Milkweed, be patient as it can take up to 4 years to attain full size. And be aware that like other milkweeds, it is a favorite for aphids. If you can't wait for the ladybugs or aphid parasitoids to assist, you can treat for aphids with soapy water instead of pesticides.
The fruit is a grayish green pod covered in short hairs. This species has no milky sap like other milkweeds. You can propagate Butterfly Milkweed by cutting and seed. You can also perform root division. In the fall, cut the taproot into 2-inch sections and plant each section vertically, keeping the area moist.
Although still listed by some in the Asclepiadaceae Family, the majority of botanical organizations now list Butterfly Milkweed it in the Apocynaceae Family. Thankfully, nature is not concerned with our human need to organize and categorize.
