In our region, the mention of milkweed brings to mind monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies are very dependent on milkweed plants for food during their caterpillar stage; it is the only plant they will eat. We mostly think of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) when we see milkweed in fields or roadsides; it is, as its name implies, very common. There are, however, over a dozen species of milkweed in the region

I got a chance to see another species of milkweed during a recent field trip, and if someone were unfamiliar with the different milkweed species, they would not think this plant was milkweed at all. In a sunny, open field were several clusters of bright orange flowers called butterfly weed.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a type of milkweed that prefers dry, sunny open areas. It is one of the shortest milkweed species, appearing low to the ground. It does share some traits with common milkweed, including glycoside sap, which is toxic to most insects or other animals that would try eating it. 

Monarch butterflies are able to use butterfly weed as a host plant and are immune to the toxic sap as they are immune to the sap contained in common milkweed. 

Aside from monarchs, many other pollinators are attracted by the butterfly weed’s flowers. Butterflies, bees and even hummingbirds can be spotted when butterfly weed is blooming during the summer.