Butterfly Weed (Agastache rupestris)

Butterfly Weed is a special plant for our desert friends! Even though it has “butterfly” in its name, it helps all kinds of insects find delicious food like nectar and pollen during the rainy summer months. Because it has so many flowers packed closely together, it’s easy for bugs to stop by for a meal. Its sweet, vanilla-like smell may even help pollinators find the flowers!

Butterfly Weed is also an important food plant for Monarch caterpillars. Baby Monarchs can eat its leaves to grow big and strong before they become butterflies.

---

---

Explore more High Desert Helpers and uncover fascinating fun facts!

---

---

---

High Desert Helpers is sponsored through the Trails+ Grant Program by the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division.