butterfly weed

[buht-er-flahy weed]

noun

1. Also called orange milkweed. a North American milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, having clusters of bright orange flowers.

2. an erect North American plant, Gaura coccinea, of the evening primrose family, having wandlike spikes of white to pink flowers turning red with age.

butterfly weed

noun

1. Also called: orange milkweed.  pleurisy root. a North American asclepiadaceous plant, Asclepias tuberosa (or A. decumbens ), having flat-topped clusters of bright orange flowers

Word History and Origins

Origin of butterfly weed¹

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20