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butterfly weed

noun

Definition of butterfly weed

: 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

 Pentas, lantana, verbena, zinnia, salvias (many different species and cultivars), Mexican butterfly weed (Asclepias curassavica) and buddleia are excellent flowering plants to attract butterflies into your garden this summer. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "Plant for the butterflies and other garden tips for early May," 5 May 2019 The shrubby butterfly weed flowers in a vibrant orange, gardener-favorite swamp milkweed blooms tall in pink and purple, while the common milkweed explodes with pale pink pompons the size of softballs. — Anna Groves, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "They're beautiful — and in danger. Now, a huge effort focuses on saving monarch butterflies," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'butterfly weed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of butterfly weed

1798, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for butterfly weed

butterfly weed

noun
\ -ˌwēd How to pronounce butterfly weed (audio) \

Medical Definition of butterfly weed

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

— called also pleurisy root

More from Merriam-Webster on butterfly weed

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about butterfly weed

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