Butterfly Weed/Asclepias Tuberosa

Jane took this photo of orange butterfly weed on our walk at 47th Street and Lake Shore Drive yesterday.

Photo: Jane Masterson

Asclepias tuberosa is a species of milkweed native to eastern North America. It is a perennial plant growing to 0.3–1 metre (10 in–3 ft 3 in) tall, with clustered orange or yellow flowers from early summer to early fall. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, 5–12 cm long and 2–3 cm broad. This plant favors dry, sandy or gravelly soil, but has also been reported on stream margins. It requires full sun. It is commonly known as Butterfly Weed because of the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. It is also the larval food plant of the Queen and Monarch butterflies. Hummingbirds, bees and other insects are also attracted to it. [Wikipedia.]

Extracts of this were used by Native Americans as an expectorant for wet coughs and other pulmonary ailments.