Plant
Butterfly weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Also known as: orange milkweed, pleurisy root
A native milkweed species — bright orange flat-topped flower clusters, narrow lance-shaped leaves, drought-tolerant taproot. Like other milkweeds, an obligate larval host for the monarch butterfly; unlike the larger common milkweed, butterfly weed is well-adapted to dry sunny sites and small gardens. Long indigenous medicinal use as 'pleurisy root' (the older common name) for respiratory conditions. Native to Staten Island's drier meadow and dune-edge habitats; widely planted in pollinator gardens.
Scientific
Asclepias tuberosa is a 1–3 ft perennial with bright orange (occasionally yellow or red) flat-topped flower clusters in mid-summer. Unlike most milkweeds, lacks the milky white sap typical of the genus. Drought-tolerant from a deep taproot — the species name tuberosa refers to the swollen storage root.
Like other Asclepias species, an obligate larval host for monarch butterflies. The species is one of the easier milkweeds for residential gardens because of compact size and drought tolerance.
Indigenous medicinal use was historically widespread across the species’ range — the older common name “pleurisy root” comes from documented use for pleurisy and other respiratory conditions. Roots and root preparations were the principal medicinal part. Modern herbalism continues to recognize the plant’s traditional applications.
On Staten Island
Native to the borough’s drier meadow and dune-edge habitats. Widely planted in pollinator gardens at GreenThumb-supported community gardens, residential native-plant gardens, and [[mount-loretto-unique-area|Mount Loretto]]‘s grassland edges. One of the most-recommended native plants for monarch-supporting residential plantings on the borough.
See also
Auto-generated from this entry’s typed relations: frontmatter, grouped by relation type so the editorial signal isn’t flattened.
- Substrate of: [[monarch-butterfly]]
- Counterpart to: [[common-milkweed]]
- Member of: [[plants]]
- Contained by: [[staten-island]]
Sources
- USDA NRCS Plants Database: butterfly weed
- Xerces Society monarch-host-plant resources
- Northeastern indigenous-medicine and pleurisy-root documentation
Rooted in life.
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