Asclepias tuberosa -- (Butterfly Milkweed)


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An extremely hardy, long-lived perennial native to North America. The magnificent bright orange flowers are concentrated in compact clusters at the top of branching stems. The flowers produce a large quantity of nectar which attracts butterflies throughout the growing season. Requires a very well-drained sandy or gravelly soil in full sun. 
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 Scientific Name:  Asclepias tuberosa
 Common Name:  Butterfly Milkweed
 Other Common Names:

 Duration of Life:  Perennial
 Bloom Color:  Orange
 Soil Moisture:  Dry, Mesic
 Sun Requirements:  Full
 Plant Origin:  Native
 Drought Tolerance:  High
 Flower Conspicuous:  Yes
 Soil Fertility Requirement:  Low
 Moisture Use:  Low
 Shade Tolerance:  Intolerant
 Growing Zone:  4
 Active Growth Period:  Spring, Summer
 Anaerobic Tolerance:  None
 Calcium Carbonate Tolerance:  Medium
 Bloom Period:  Mid Summer
 Commercial Availability:  Routinely Available
 Competitivness:  Sensitive
 Cold Stratification Required:  No
 Best established via:  Seed, Plant
 Fall Conspicuous:  No
 Frost Free Days, Minimum:  135
 Foliage Color:  Green
 Fruit/Seed Abundance:  Medium
 Fruit/Seed Period Begin:  Summer
 Fruit/Seed Conspicuous:  Yes
 Fruit/Seed Period End:  Fall
 Fruit/Seed Color:  Brown
 Fruit/Seed Persistence:  No
 Fire Tolerance:  High
 Foliage Texture:  Coarse
 Growth Form:  Multiple Stem
 Growth Habit:  Forb/herb
 Growth Rate:  Slow
 Height, Mature (feet):  2
 Leaf Retention:  No
 Low Growing Grass:  No
 Life Span:  Moderate
 Max. Planting Density/Acre:  7200
 Min. Planting Density/Acre:  3450
 pH (Maximum):  6.8
 pH (Minimum):  4.8
 Precipitation (Minimum):  28
 Protein Potential:  Low
 Plant Spacing:  12 to 30 inches
 Resprout Ability:  No
 Root Depth, Min. (inches):  16
 Salt Tolerance:  None
 Shape and Orientation:  Erect
 Flowering Months:  July, August
 Small Grain:  No
 Seed Spread Rate:  Slow
 Seedling Vigor:  Low
 Temperature, Minimum (F):  -33
 Toxicity:  None
 Vegetative Spread Rate:  None
 Found in Old fields:  No
 Found in Virgin fields:  No
 Propagation:  Container, Seed
 Palpable: (eatable)  Browse Animal (Low), Graze Animal (Low)
 Where Found in S.E. MN:

 Pronounciation:  (uh-SKLEE-pea-us too-ber-ROW-suh)
 Category:  Dicot
 Division:  Magnoliophyta
 Class:  Magnoliopsida
 Order:  Gentianales
 Family:  Asclepiadaceae
 Genus:  Asclepias

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