Asclepias tuberosa
Butterfly Weed
The following is a list of all of the common names of A. tuberosa.
- Butterfly weed
- Chieger flower
- Pleurisy root
- Tuber root
- Indian paintbrush
A. tuberosa belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae, the genus Asclepias
and
the species tuberosa. The genus was named for the Greek god of medicine, Asklepios, who was the son of Apollo and Coronis. Its
name refers to the medicinal properties of some of the species [2].
Identification
Butterfly weed is one of the most
beautiful of all of the American wildflowers. Unlike other species of milkweeds in the family, butterfly weed has a nonmilky sap [1]. It varies considerably in its habit of growth
, foliage, and flower color in the wild, but it is located in places such as Ontario, Minnesota, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, and Arizona [1]. The plant is erect and has a downy stem that is one to two and one half feet tall. Leaves are alternate and obl
onglanceolate and vary in size from one quarter to one and one quarter of a inch in width. The flowers vary in colors ranging from red and pink to vibrant orange and yellow [2, 3]. In butterfly weed, the roots are tuberous, becoming woody as the plant a
ges [2].
A. tuberosa is most commonly found in the Eastern parts of NorthAmerica in places like Georgia and Florida. The most common time of the year to see it bloom is from July to September [3]. The plant is free flowering and loves to bloom in large op
en fields such as Sam's Farm located in and owned
by the
University of Georgia. Unlike most of the flowering plants, butterfly weed thrives in well-drained sandy or gravelly soil, and it is drought tolerant [4].
Geography
Pleurisy root is located throught the Eastern and Northern portions of North America. As long as it has sandy or gravelly soil, it thrives. Butterfly weed typically lives during the hottest parts of the summer when most other plants wilt and die. For t
his reason, it is a very difficult weed to get rid of simply because of the fact that most insects, especially butterflies, lack much of a variety of food sources during the summer months.
It was observed to be present at Sam's Farm located in Athens, Georgia (personal observation by A. Montalbano), and the picture above was taken at that locale. Butterfly weed may be found along most roadsides and in many of the abandoned fields that dot
the Eastern seaboard, especially during the summer months.
References
- [1] The New York Botanical Garden's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horticulture. Everett, Thomas H. V1. Garland Publishing, Inc., New York and London. 1980. p.267-268.
- [2] The New Royal Horticultural Society's Dictionary of Gardening. Edited by Huxley, Anthony. The Stockton Press, New York. 1992. p.252-253.
- [3] The Royal Horticultural Society's Dictionary of Gardening: A Practical and Scientific Encyclopedia of Horticulture. Edited by Chittenden, Fred J. V1. Oxford University Press, Amen House, London. 1951. p.189-191.
- [4] Perennials For American Gardens. Clausen, Ruth R. and Ekstrom, Nicholas A. Random House, Inc., New York. 1989. p.70-72.
If you have any questions or comments concerning this page, please contact Aimee Montalbano at spider@arches.uga.edu