Asclepias tuberosa Gay Butterflies Group

RHS Plant Profile

butterfly weed Gay Butterflies Group

RHS / Joanna Kossak

Herbaceous Perennial

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A herbaceous perennial with upright stems of narrow green leaves. Clusters of showy, waxy yellow, golden orange, pink or red flowers are produced from mid to late summer. An excellent food source for butterflies

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand, Clay, Chalk

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand Clay Chalk

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Apocynaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Asclepias can be evergreen or deciduous perennials or subshrubs, with simple, entire leaves and umbel-like clusters of small, distinctively shaped flowers followed by paired fruits containing seeds embedded in silky fibres
Name Status: Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow outdoors in well-drained soil in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings or seed in spring, or semi-ripe cuttings in late summer/autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Gravel garden
Sub-tropical
Conservatory and greenhouse
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

Cut back old growth in early winter or spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free