butterfly weed

noun

: a North American milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) with showy orange flowers borne on erect leafy stems

Examples of butterfly weed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The National Wildlife Federation recommends the following three species that will work in most regions of the U.S.: Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). —Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2025

Include different varieties such as common milkweed, butterfly weed and swamp milkweed. —Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 10 Dec. 2024

Native Plant Garden: This garden features many different plants native to the region, including hydrangeas, irises, butterfly weed, and St. John's Wort, just to name a few. —Madison Lipe, USA TODAY, 28 June 2024

Like Eupatorium maculatum [spotted joe-pye weed], Asclepias tuberosa [butterfly weed] and species of echinacea [coneflower], aster and eryngium [sea holly]. —John Wogan Carmen Winant, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023

Chris Kennedy Orange butterfly weed, or Asclepias tuberosa, provides a burst of color. —Robert Knox, BostonGlobe.com, 25 May 2023

Note the list includes butterfly weed, which is native to Wisconsin, but not butterfly bush, a nonnative that is considered controversial or invasive in some areas of the U.S. —Jennifer Rude Klett, Journal Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2023

Vibrant butterfly weed welcomed delicate visitors. —Bob Timmons, Star Tribune, 31 July 2020

In San Antonio, gardeners should obtain seed or transplants to grow antelope horn milkweed, green milkweed, swamp milkweed, showy milkweed, common milkweed and butterfly weed. —Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Sep. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for butterfly weed

• accede
• agreed
• airspeed
• alkyd
• bindweed
• chickweed
• concede
• decreed
• duckweed
• exceed
• flaxseed
• impede

Kids Definition

butterfly weed

noun

: a showy orange-flowered milkweed of eastern North America

Medical Definition

butterfly weed

noun

-ˌwēd 

: an orange-flowered milkweed of the genus Asclepias (A. tuberosa) of eastern North America that is a source of asclepias

called also pleurisy root