Bloodflower, Butterfly Weed
Asclepias curassavica
Perennials
Bloodflower is a tough, adaptable, and drought-tolerant plant that can be harvested as a cut-flower. It serves as a food source for monarch butterflies.
(Detailed plant information can be found at the bottom of the page.)
Asclepias curassavica Photo Gallery
Asclepias curassavica Plant Information
| Classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Asclepias curassavica |
| Common Name: | bloodflower butterfly weed |
| Family: | Asclepiadaceae |
| Suggested Uses: | perennials, beds & borders, cutflowers, natives |
| Characteristics | |
| Plant Form: | upright, rounded |
| Height: | 1 - 3 feet |
| Spread: | 1 - 3 feet |
| Foliage: | simple, narrow, 1-6" leaves dark green with silver pubescence on under sides medium-textured foliage |
| Flower: | yellow, orange, and red flowers in 2-5" umbels slow to bloom |
| Bloom Period: | Summer - Fall |
| Fruit: | 4-6" long upright follicles which can be used in floral arrangements |
| Environment | |
| Sun: | full sun |
| Water: | low water requirement drought-tolerant |
| Soil: | well-drained soil tolerates high pH and infertile soil adaptable soil range |
| Heat Tolerance: | high heat tolerance |
| USDA Zone: | zones 3 - 9 |
| Native Range: | Eastern US |
| Care | |
| Maintenance: | deadhead to prolong flowering occasionally prune to prevent legginess |
| Pests & Pathology: | aphids |
| Wildlife: | food source for Monarch Butterflies |
TTU Plant Resources
-
Address
Texas Tech University, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Box 42122, Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
806.742.2838 -
Email
Melanie.Jackson@ttu.edu