Asclepias curassavica 'Red Butterfly'

42.14827728, -87.7928009

Red Butterfly Bloodflower

Bloodflower (Asclepias curassavica) is a nonnative perennial plant from South America that the Chicago Botanic Garden grows from seed and uses as a warm-season annual. It is a member of the milkweed family, which includes butterfly weed (A. tuberosa), prairie milkweed (A. sullivantii), and swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), midwestern native perennials in the Garden's permanent collection. The sepals of 'Red Butterfly' are scarlet and the crowns are yellow. Milkweed flowers form seedpods from which seeds with silky hairs are dispersed by wind. Bloodflower is a host plant for monarch and queen butterfly larvae and its nectar attracts many other species of butterflies to the Garden.

Soil:
Moderate
Plant Shape:
Upright
Exposure:
Full Sun
Bloom Time:
May - June
July - August
September - October
Bloom Color:
Red
Yellow
Landscape Use:
Bedding or Border
Wildlife Interest:
Attracts Butterflies
Resistant To Deer
Plant Type:
Perennial
Hardiness Zone:
9 - 11