Flora of the Southeastern United States

Intro: A conspicuous, coarse perennial that forms large colonies in unmowed fields, pastures, roadsides and other disturbed areas.

Stems: Stem stout, unbranched, often furry; leaks milky sap when bruised.

Leaves: Leaves opposite, short-petiolate, oval to oblong, 6-9 in. long, with a reddish central vein, soft-hairy beneath.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers on long stalks that often droop, in a globe-shaped terminal umbel and a few upper axillary umbels; fragrant, pale-purple to rose-colored, with 5 strongly reflexed corolla lobes and a central crown--composed of 5 2-parted appendages ("hood" and "horn")--surrounding a complex structure of fused anthers and style.

Fruits: Fruit a warty, somewhat furry, oval follicle containing tufted seeds.

Comments: This species, a well-known Monarch host plant, is apparently expanding its range southward.

Height: 3-6 ft.

plant sale text: Common milkweed is the most substantial of our native milkweeds. It is a great host plant for monarch larvae and a nectar source for adult butterflies. It is also showy, both in flower and in fruit. Large round clusters of dusty pink flowers are followed by large warty pods trailing delicate milkweed fluff. It is drought tolerant, and works well in a loose or wild landscape like a meadow or woodland edge. Individual plants are large and are likely to form colonies. Milkweeds support up to 12 species of lepidoptera.

bloom table text:

description: A conspicuous, coarse perennial that forms large colonies in unmowed fields, pastures, roadsides and other disturbed areas.

stems: Stem stout, unbranched, often furry; leaks milky sap when bruised.

leaves: Leaves opposite, short-petiolate, oval to oblong, 6-9 in. long, with a reddish central vein, soft-hairy beneath.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers on long stalks that often droop, in a globe-shaped terminal umbel and a few upper axillary umbels; fragrant, pale-purple to rose-colored, with 5 strongly reflexed corolla lobes and a central crown--composed of 5 2-parted appendages ("hood" and "horn")--surrounding a complex structure of fused anthers and style.

fruits: Fruit a warty, somewhat furry, oval follicle containing tufted seeds.

comments: This species, a well-known Monarch host plant, is apparently expanding its range southward.

cultural notes:

germination code: 2

native range: eastern North America