Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) - Native Monarch Host Plant with Bright Blooms for Sunny, Well-Drained Gardens | Everglades Farm

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) - Native Monarch Host Plant with Bright Blooms for Sunny, Well-Drained Gardens

Customers love tree condition, packaging, and healthy arrival.

  • Healthy tree ready for planting or container growing
  • Multiple size options to match your preference
  • Money-back coverage and secure packaging
$19.95 USD
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$19.95 item
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Size (Measurement Includes Container)
Pick the size that fits your goal
Smaller Sizes (1 gal)

Starting size and the lowest upfront commitment. ~6 months old tree.

Medium Sizes (3 gal)

Medium option with a strong balance of size and value. ~1 year old tree.

Larger Sizes (7+ gal)

Largest available size for shipping and the most immediate visual impact. ~2year old tree.

Largest Size (15 gal)

Usually starting to produce fruit. ~3 year old tree. Available for pickup only.

Out of stock

Expert packing and support
Arrive-alive guarantee
Money-back coverage
Biggest Trees Online
Florida-grown tropical fruit trees
50+ years combined growing experience
Grafted varieties for earlier fruit
Homestead, FL nursery
What arrives at your door
  • A live tree in the size you selected
  • Nursery container with fertilizer-enriched growing media
  • Protective packaging designed to keep the root ball stable in transit
  • After-delivery support if you have questions once it arrives
Care snapshot
  • Growth: Moderate
  • Light: Full sun (6+ hours) for best flowering.
  • Mature height: 1.5-3 ft
  • Mature width: 1-2 ft
  • Lifespan: Long-lived perennial, 10+ years in well-drained soil
Full product details

Key Features:

  • Monarch Butterfly Host Plant: A preferred food plant for monarch, queen, and soldier caterpillars, and a rich nectar source for bees and butterflies.

  • Brilliant Orange Blooms: Flat-topped clusters of bright orange flowers bloom from late spring through summer and add bold color to sunny gardens.

  • Loves Sun and Dry Soil: Unlike swamp milkweed, butterfly weed thrives in full sun and sandy, well-drained soil and is highly drought tolerant.

  • Deep-Rooted Native Perennial: Forms a long taproot, returns reliably each year, and is best left undisturbed once planted.

  • Compact and Tidy: Stays about 1.5 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide, resists deer, and fits borders, meadows, and pollinator gardens.

Local pickup information
Shipping Arrive alive & money-back details Return & support policy
Key Features

Butterfly Weed is a native, drought-tolerant perennial with bright orange blooms that host monarch caterpillars and feed many pollinators.

Special considerations

Sap is clear rather than milky but is still toxic if eaten, so keep pets and children away. Avoid pesticides to protect monarch caterpillars, and avoid wet or heavy clay soil.

Growing and Care Instructions

Butterfly Weed thrives in full sun with sandy, well-drained soil and prefers to be left alone, since its deep taproot dislikes being moved. Cut stems back in late winter and be patient, as it is one of the last perennials to emerge in spring.

  • Fertilizing

    Light feeder; average soil is fine, and heavy fertilizer causes weak, floppy growth.

  • Watering

    Water weekly to establish, then very drought tolerant; avoid wet, poorly drained soil.

  • Light Requirements

    Full sun (6+ hours) for best flowering.

Type Herbaceous perennial
Lifespan Long-lived perennial, 10+ years in well-drained soil
Growth Moderate
Max Height 1.5-3 ft
Max Width 1-2 ft
USDA Growing Zone 3-9 map showing suitable planting regions

3-9 Outdoors

★★★★★
11/07/2025
Mark R. Verified

Healthy, full, and worth recommending

I have filled my greenhouse with many kinds of tropical fruit trees over the years.

The trees I received from Everglades Farm were the healthiest, fullest, and best packed I have seen. They arrived with beautiful green leaves, strong branching, and much better packaging than other vendors I have tried.

I highly recommend Everglades Farm and was very impressed with the nursery.

Thank you so much!

Mark R.