A mature Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) growing in a residential garden bed

In the landscape

Border · Mass planting · Container · Meadow · Naturalized · Patio · Rock wall · Small space

Data sources

Missouri Botanical Garden, NC State Extension

Butterfly Weed

Asclepias tuberosa · Perennial

Butterfly Weed is a slow-growing perennial, hardy in USDA zones 3-9, that matures to about 1–2.5 ft × 1–1.5 ft. It does best in full sun with low water needs in well-drained, moist and occasionally-dry soil. Expect yellow, orange and red blooms in summer. It attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, stands up well to deer, drought and erosion and grows happily in containers.

USDA zones: 3-9
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low
Mature size: 1–2.5 ft × 1–1.5 ft
Growth rate: Slow
Maintenance: Low
Soil: Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally-dry
Bloom color: Yellow, Orange, Red
Bloom season: Summer
Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Moths, Pollinators
Tough against: Deer, Drought, Erosion, Rabbits, Salt
Toxic to: People
Native to: Eastern and southern United States

Will it survive your winters?

We score Butterfly Weed’s freeze-trouble range against the real coldest nights your area has recorded.

Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.

More plants for your zone: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9