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Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberose


Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberose

Butterfly Weed or Pleurisy Root is a smaller member of the Milkweed family. It is said that the plant hates its roots disturbed, so does not transplant well; but I have transplanted several roots, with two definite successes! I first noticed this plant in a field opposite my house back in the early 1970’s. I really liked it then, but after my kids grew up and my youngest daughter earned her Native American name (loosely translates into Butterfly Woman) I fell in love with it!

In the 19th Century Butterfly Weed was listed as an official medicine in the American Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1905. As its other common name implies (Pleurisy Root) has been used in lung diseases and complaints. In bronchitis, pleurisy, and pneumonia it reduces inflammations, and assists in expectoration of mucous. The Cherokee Indians of North America used a root tea to treat diarrhea and heart conditions as well as the lung complaints.



Comments on this photo

 

I grew asclepias years ago, must give them another go...

29 Dec, 2009

 

That is quite lovely!
What kind of climate does it like?
I live in Central Texas and we have very hot summers along with winters that can be unpredictable. Is it hearty?

1 Jan, 2010

 

N2 I took this pic in Texarkana, Texas...in my travels around North America, I have noticed it everywhere I have gone so far!...to me is seems very hearty.

Currently I live in Delaware and we have hot summers (not as hot as yours, but humid) and temps in winter that flucuate from very cold (very low teens) to 50's, can change from one day to the next that dramatically and we have butterfly weed here....

I am sure you should be able to get it growing there...might need a little watering, cause you are mostly desert there, right?

1 Jan, 2010

 

Actually only west Texas is arid. Central and east Texas is quite nice with the exception of very hot summers. I will try and find some seed and see if I can start some of them over the winter in my seed-starter trays and see what happens! I just love the clustered blooms!
~N2O~

5 Jan, 2010

 

Good luck with your search...I have found orange red, orange, and yellow blooms in the wild....I have transplanted some rhizomes of the orange last summer...they do not like their roots disturbed, so your idea is probably better than my attempt! lol

5 Jan, 2010

 

Interesting Healerwitch... I ran into a similar problem of plants "not liking the roots disturbed" when I grew some larkspur and lupine in seed starter trays from raw seed.
Some plants absolutely do not like to be transplanted and go into severe shock when transferred from the seed starter trays. My hunch is that it might be an issue of root hydration during the transplant process. This is something that I want to experiment heavily with, because all trees and woody shrubs can be "dry rooted" right into the native soil and always do great with no signs of "transplant shock" at all. We'll see what happens! :-))

6 Jan, 2010

 

I have experimented with about 5 different types of shrub seeds this fall. I am attempting to grow them from seed (without any previous experience...lol)

I am trying:
American Beautyberry
Firethorn
Strawberry bush
Barberry
and ummmmmm, lemme think....oh nuts, I can't remember and they are out in the shed! Oh well...they will grow or not and I will take pics then (and have the names on each planter then)....lol

6 Jan, 2010

 

I hope it works out Healerwatch!
I'll be attempting some "dry rooting" transplants on "non woody" plants grown from seed, so I have NO idea what the results will be next growing season.
Time will tell! ;-)

7 Jan, 2010

 

Good Luck...hope everything works for ya

7 Jan, 2010




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This photo is of "Asclepiadaceae – Milkweed family" in Healerwitch's garden

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