A member of the Milkweed family, so most parts of the plant contain toxins. A crude sugar is produced from the flowers. Poultices for sores were made from the powdered root. A tea from the root encourages sweating. A tea was also made to induce vomiting during certain rituals.
Butterfly weed is a member of the milkweed family.
The plants grow to two feet tall and flower from July to September. The flower colors are orange, red and yellow. The plant will not flower freely until well established. The best sites have exposure to sun or partial shade and almost any soil. The plant tolerates dry soil but not heavy soil.