June 11, 2026
The Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is finally blooming up here. I’ve really been watching and waiting. Looking forward to its brilliant orange flowers. Looks like others have been watching and waiting too.
This is a Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) drinking nectar from the blossoms which provide the butterfly with energy and carbohydrates.
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June 23, 2025
The bright orange of Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa). Surely this plant has a perfect name. It attracts multitudes of butterflies that are drawn to the abundant nectar that it produces. It also draws in bees and hummingbirds.
Butterfly Weed is the host plant of Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Monarch (Danaus plexippus), and Queen (Danaus gilippus) butterflies.
This butterfly enjoying the nectar is an Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme).
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June 12, 2025
I love rich bright colors. This certainly fills the bill.
A Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus), with its wonderful contrast of bold black stripes against crisp pure white, sipping nectar from the brilliant orange blooms of Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa).
Pawpaw trees (Asimina triloba) are the primary host plant for Zebra Swallowtails. These trees create the perfect environment and provide nutrients that are needed for proper development of the larvae of these butterflies.
A butterfly I love to see, which surely makes me happy that there are so many Pawpaw trees up here!
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June 10, 2025
I’ve been watching the buds for what seems like forever. Today flowers on my Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) finally began to open. A Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) came by to enjoy the nectar of the blooms, one of their favorite food sources.
The blossoms of Butterfly Weed are also popular with bees, other butterflies, and hummingbirds. And it’s the host plant of the Queen and the Monarch butterfly.
I’m hoping I can propagate more of this plant for my garden. Not only do I love the pollinators that it attracts but I thoroughly enjoy its rich orange glow.
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Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), native to eastern and southwestern North America. This picture taken at the beginning of August of 2024. Always a delight for me to find these bright orange blooms attracting butterflies in the wild.
And now, actually just yesterday, September 15th, and there are seed pods on the Butterfly Weed. Soon to burst open sending silky-tailed seeds drifting with the wind to find a new place to grow.
Ah magical nature!
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