Milkweed

Asclepiadaceae

LIFE FORM: Perennial

NATIVITY: Eastern North America

VEGETATIVE CHARACTERISTICS:

Stout, erect stems are 3 to 4 feet tall, hollow and unbranched; leaves are opposite, oblong-elliptic to oval, 3 to 6 inches long, surface is green and smooth with pronounced white midvein, underside has downy hair; all parts of the plant leak a milky sap when broken.

FLOWERS:

Pink-white flowers are aromatic and form globe-shaped clusters; blooms late June to early August.

FRUIT/DISPERSAL AGENTS:

Large, teardrop shaped fruit have gray-green pods that open in early autumn; pods contain 200+ seeds and a terminal tuft of silky white hairs; silky hairs are caught by wind to help dispersal.

ECOLOGICAL PREFERENCE:

Roadsides.

ENVIRONMENTAL FUNCTION:

Host for larvae of monarch butterfly.

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:

Greens are edible; Indians used seeds and roots medicinally and made rope from its fibers.