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Asclepias tuberosa: Butterfly Weed, Indian Paintbrush

Release Date: 3/29/2026

DOI: 10.32473/EDIS-fp050-1999

Water Resources

Abstract

Butterfly weed is a Florida native milkweed species with yellow, orange, or red flowers borne on clusters above the foliage. It is a larval host plant for monarch butterflies and their relatives. It is well suited for pollinator gardens, containers, mass plantings, for naturalizing landscapes, or utilized as cut flowers in arrangements.

About this Publication

This document is FPS050, one of a series of the Department of Environmental Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date October 1999. Revised August 2018 and December 2025. Visit the Ask IFAS website at https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/ for the currently supported version of this publication.

How to Cite

Gilman, E., Klein, R. W., & Hansen, G. (2018). Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed, Indian Paintbrush. EDIS, 2018(4). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-fp050-1999