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 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 Designed in collaboration with Geauga Park District and DERU Landscape Architects, the park will incorporate native perennials and shrubs such as butterfly weed, aster, purple coneflower, goldenrod, bluestem and Joe Pye weed. cleveland, 8 June 2022 Nineteen types of prairie plants are available this year and include favorites like butterfly weed, big bluestem, leadplant, purple prairie clover and more. Beacon-News Staff, chicagotribune.com, 8 Apr. 2022 The native milkweeds for our area include the antelope horn, the green milkweed and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'butterfly weed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of butterfly weed was in 1798

Dictionary Entries Near butterfly weed

Cite this Entry

“Butterfly weed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butterfly%20weed. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

butterfly weed

noun
: a showy orange-flowered milkweed of eastern North America

Medical Definition

butterfly weed

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

called also pleurisy root

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