Stairway to Heaven

Asclepias tuberosa (also known as Butterfly Weed) is a species of milkweed native to eastern North America. This showy plant is frequently grown from seed in home gardens. Its brilliant flowers attract butterflies. Because its tough root was chewed by the Indians as a cure for pleurisy and other pulmonary ailments, Butterfly Weed was given its other common name, Pleurisy Root. Although it is sometimes called Orange Milkweed, this species has no milky sap.

Nature preserve, July, 2013

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