Butterfly Milkweed is a showy native perennial that grows 2–3 feet tall and features bright orange flowers that bloom from late spring into summer. It’s commonly found in fields, grasslands, roadsides, and open woods.
 
This plant thrives in sandy, rocky, clay, and other tough soils, and its deep taproot makes it very drought tolerant (but also hard to transplant, so it’s best grown from seed). Butterfly Milkweed is a favorite for gardens and pollinator habitats, attracting many butterflies and bees—and it’s an important host plant for Monarch caterpillars.