My Deer Garden

Plant record · Perennial

Is Butterfly Weed deer resistant?

Asclepias tuberosa

Orange butterfly weed flower cluster
Photo by Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Perennial
Hardiness
Zones 3–9
Light
Full sun
Height
12–24 in
Bloom
Spring and Summer
Maintenance
Low
Native range
42 US states
Toxic to
dogs, cats, and horses

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Butterfly Weed

Orange milkweed and a monarch host plant. It emerges very late in spring, so mark the position or you will dig into it. The deep taproot makes it drought-proof and immovable.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7.5
Drainage
Sharp, gritty. Will rot in wet soil
Water
Low
Spacing
18 to 24 in apart
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Butterfly Weed

Other perennials with the same deer rating.

Where Butterfly Weed grows

Hardy across every state on zone range alone, and native to 42 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Butterfly Weed

Is Butterfly Weed deer resistant?
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Butterfly Weed grow in?
Butterfly Weed is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Butterfly Weed grow in shade?
No. Butterfly Weed wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Butterfly Weed get?
Mature height is roughly 12–24 in. Growth rate is slow.
Is Butterfly Weed toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Butterfly Weed as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.

Browse from here

Every list Butterfly Weed belongs to.

All perennials·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 3·Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .