Native Plants of the Great Lakes
North Branch Restoration Project:
Native Plant and Seed Collection
Ascelpias Tuberosa / Family:
Asclepiadaceae
Butterfly Weed, Swink/Wilhelm #7
FLOWERING: Mid-June to September.
SEED TIMING: Late September to Mid-October.
HABITAT: Mostly dry to mesic prairies.
DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES: Herbaceous perennial. 1 to 2 feet
tall, hairy. Leaves alternate and lanceolate or linear with slightly
clasping bases. Flowers bright orange or yellow, in peduncles.
TO PICK: Seeds with downy parachutes form in erect pods,
typically a few pods per plant. Look for ripened pods. Ripeness
indicated when pod loses much of its original green color and/or
begins to split open naturally. The seeds also indicate ripeness if
they have become tan or brown. |
