Milkweed, Butterfly - Asclepias tuberosa

Asclepias tuberosa, also known as Butterfly Milkweed, is a perennial wildflower native to Michigan. This stunning plant reaches 2 feet tall and flowers from June to July with clusters of orange blossoms. I call it the "gateway drug" of native plants. ButterflyMilkweed is showy, distinctive, long-blooming, and polite. Slip a few of these into your yard and you will convert even the staunchest doubter to the cause of native plants.

It prefers full sun but tolerates part sun, is fine with medium to dry soil, and will grow in loam or sand. Drought tolerant. Butterfly Milkweed does well in poor, dry soils. Water it regularly when you first plant it, but once new growth appears, taper off watering. This plant does not like rich, moist soil. When gardeners tell me this plant is fussy, my first thought is that they amend their soil and irrigate. This plant wants your bad soil, really. In poor soil, this plant is easy and maintenance-free. Butterfly Milkweed is not at all aggressive; it doesn't spread by rhizome and forms a decorative clump over time. 
 
As a host plant for Monarch Butterflies, as well as a number of other beneficial insects, Butterfly Milkweed is a must-have in a native garden. Its bright orange flowers attract pollinators, both bees and butterflies. 
Landscapers take note: this plant works well in traditional tidy plantings.
For the conservationists out there, note that in southwest Michigan this is a roadside weed, adapted to dry prairie life. It can hold its own in a meadow or naturalized area, especially if plants are short or growing loosely.
It works well in butterfly gardens, rock gardens, sunny borders, and slopes. A deep taproot resists erosion and drought. Foliage turns an attractive yellow in the fall.
Pairs well with Spiderwort, Foxglove Beardtongue, Hairy Beardtongue, and Harebell.