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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
Native Plant Garden: This garden features many different plants native to the region, including hydrangeas, irises, butterfly weed, and St. John's Wort, just to name a few.
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Madison Lipe, USA TODAY, 28 June 2024
Like Eupatorium maculatum [spotted joe-pye weed], Asclepias tuberosa [butterfly weed] and species of echinacea [coneflower], aster and eryngium [sea holly].
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John Wogan Carmen Winant, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023
Chris Kennedy Orange butterfly weed, or Asclepias tuberosa, provides a burst of color.
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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.
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Jennifer Rude Klett, Journal Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2023
Vibrant butterfly weed welcomed delicate visitors.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Beacon-News Staff, chicagotribune.com, 8 Apr. 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
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 19 Aug. 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
More from Merriam-Webster on butterfly weed
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about butterfly weed
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