Plant Overview
As the name suggests, this showy plant is adored by butterflies (and other pollinators). It also makes an excellent border plant, suitable for cottage or informal gardens. Large flat-topped clusters of orange-red flowers from June to September. Prefers a well-drained soil.
A native of North America, the tough roots of the plant were chewed by Native Americans to cure pleurisy, which gave rise to another of its common names, Pleurisy Root. They also considered all parts of the plant beneficial and ate the shoots and seeds too. It was brought over to Britain in 1690.
The flowers, when cut, have a long vase life and it is now grown as a cut flower in the USA.
Height: 75cm
Common name(s): Butterfly Flower, Pleurisy Root, Orange Milkweed, Chiggerflower, Swallow-Wort, Butterfly Silkweed.
