butterfly weed

noun

Asclepias tuberosa, a species of milkweed native to eastern North America, with clustered orange or yellow flowers.

Similar
butterfly milkweedbutterfly bushorange milkweedchigger flowerchiggerflowerpleurisy roottuber rootIndian paintbrush
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Meanings

nounbutterfly weed (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAsclepias tuberosa, a species of milkweed native to eastern North America, with clustered orange or yellow flowers.

    Synonyms: butterfly milkweed, butterfly bush

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAsclepias tuberosa, a species of milkweed native to eastern North America, with clustered orange or yellow flowers.

Similar
butterfly milkweedbutterfly bush

More synonyms by meaning

nounerect perennial of eastern and southern United States having showy orange flowers

Similar
orange milkweedchigger flowerchiggerflowerpleurisy roottuber rootIndian paintbrushAsclepias tuberosa
Broader
milkweedsilkweed
Also see
butterfly milkweedcanada rootindian paintbrushorange milkweedpleurisy root

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

So called because its color and nectar tend to attract butterflies.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish karvasilkkiyrtti
  • karvasilkkiyrttiAsclepias tuberosa
Cite this entry
APA

butterfly weed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butterfly%20weed

MLA

“butterfly weed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butterfly%20weed. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “butterfly weed,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butterfly%20weed.

Source: butterfly weed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.