Butterfly Weed

Asclepias tuberosa

Butterfly weed grows naturally in meadows, prairies, and roadsides across North America. A perennial milkweed with slender leaves and clusters of bright orange flowers, butterfly weed flowers through midsummer. Although it does not exude milky sap like most milkweeds, it is still valuable to pollinators. Monarch butterflies, bees, and many other insects feed on its nectar and foliage.

Native people and early settlers made traditional use of butterfly weed for lung and fever complaints [1][2]. The root, also known as pleurisy root, was used to make a tea or decoction that would ease congestion, coughs, and inflammation in the chest and lungs. The same tea could lower fevers and induce sweat to break a cold or flu. Butterfly weed was a popular medicine of the 18th and 19th centuries, due to its warming and expectorant effects.

Butterfly weed is used less frequently in herbal medicine today, but it is still well-studied. Like all plants in its genus, butterfly weed contains flavonoids and resins that support the respiratory system [3][4]. Modern herbalists consider it a potent herb to be used with care and respect.

Beyond herbal medicine, butterfly weed also plays an important ecological role. It provides nectar for pollinators in the dog days of summer. The seeds also nourish and color native landscapes.

[1] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. “Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly Weed / Pleurisy Root.” https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ASTU

[2] Herbal-Supplement-Resource. “Pleurisy Root Uses & Benefits as Medicinal Herb.” https://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/pleurisy-root.html

[3] The Naturopathic Herbalist. “Asclepius tuberosa – Pleurisy Root, Butterfly Weed.” September 6, 2015. https://thenaturopathicherbalist.com/2015/09/06/asclepius-tuberosa/

[4] Agro4Profits. “15 Medicinal Health Benefits of Pleurisy Root (Asclepias tuberosa).” https://agric4profits.com/benefits-of-pleurisy-root-asclepias-tuberosa/