Butterfly weed, also known as milkweed, is a food source for Monarch butterflies. Another common name for this is milkweed for the milky sap that it produces that can irritate your eyes and potentially harmful. The roots were chewed by Indians to cure pulmonary ailments so another common name is pleurisy root. As it gets warmer mine will be covered with the orange and black bugs that blend in perfectly with the plant.
