The hardy native milkweed is essential to the survival of monarch butterflies. Mature butterflies feed on the nectar produced in the flowers, while the foliage provides food for their larvae. The brilliant orange and yellow flowers are showy in massed plantings, but fascinating up close, with their intricate detail. The three-foot plant is native throughout the eastern and southern regions of the country, usually preferring drier sites, and should be hardy except at very high elevations. Very durable and long-lived once established, and may gently increase on its own in favorable locations.