Butterfly Milkweed

Butterfly Milkweed in Bloom — orange flowers rising above the meadow

Monarch butterfly feeding among bright orange Butterfly Milkweed flowers

Monarch at the Flowers — a close feeding view among the orange blooms

Monarch butterfly with wings open while feeding on Butterfly Milkweed

Wings over Orange — a Monarch opens its wings across the flower cluster

Asclepias tuberosa

Butterfly Milkweed brings an unusually vivid orange to dry summer meadows and prairie openings. Dense flower clusters rise above narrow green leaves, making the plant conspicuous even among taller grasses and surrounding vegetation. The flowers also attract a wide range of insects, turning a botanical portrait into an opportunity to photograph the relationships around the plant.

For identification, habitat, and natural-history details, see the Asclepias tuberosa species page in the Field Notes section. For photographic observations and visual context, see Photographic Sequence in the Field Notes section.

Butterfly Milkweed in Bloom
A bright orange flower cluster rises above narrow green leaves in the summer meadow.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 800 • Aperture f/8.0 • Shutter 1/1600 s
E22A8928 • Size: 4100 x 2733

Monarch at the Flowers
A close feeding view brings the butterfly's head, legs, and patterned wing against the orange flowers.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens: EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Settings: ISO 800 • Aperture f/8.0 • Shutter 1/1600 s
E22A8904 • Size: 1500 x 1000

Wings over Orange
The Monarch opens its wings while feeding, spreading orange and black across the flower cluster.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens: EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Settings: ISO 800 • Aperture f/8.0 • Shutter 1/1600 s
E22A8919 • Size: 3000 x 2000