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Asclepias amplexicaulis J.E. Smith. Clasping Milkweed, Sand Milkweed. Phen: Mar-Sep; (Apr-) May-Sep. Hab: Longleaf pine sandhills, barrens, sandy prairies, other dry woodlands of various types. Dist: NH and NY west to MN, IA, and KS, south to c. peninsular. FL, west to e. TX.

ID notes: The flowers have a fragrance of cloves and roses.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, Fl5, FNA14, G, GrPl, Il, K1, K3, K4, Mi, Mo2, NcTx, NE, NY, Ok, Pa, RAB, S, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, Woodson (1954)

Links to other floras: = Asclepias amplexicaulis - FNA14

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Heliophily ⓘ: 8

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image of plant© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Floyd A. Griffith | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect perennial of sandhills and other dry woodlands.

Stems: Stems stout, usually unbranched, smooth with a white-waxy coating; leaks milky sap when bruised.

Leaves: Leaves opposite (2-6 pairs), sessile and clasping, oblong or widely oval to elliptic, 3-5 in. long, with a pink midrib, wavy-margined, smooth and with a white-waxy coating.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers (15-80) in a rounded, terminal umbel; smoky purple, about 1/2 in. long, consisting of 5 strongly reflexed pinkish-green 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 an erect, spindle-shaped pod containing many tufted brown seeds.

Comments:

Height: 2-3 ft.

plant sale text: The flower clusters of the clasping, or sand milkweed are like those Styrofoam atomic model kits you might have put together for a school science project. Each pinkish purple tubular crown juts out from the reflexed green petals, all sit in a spherical orbit about a central point at the top of the stem. The large leaves are wavy with a pink midrib and clasp the stem. The fruit is a 4" long pod that will dry on the stem to release the tufted windblown seeds. This plant inhabits open woods, enjoys a sunny location with sandy, freely draining soil.

bloom table text:

description: Erect perennial of sandhills and other dry woodlands.

stems: Stems stout, usually unbranched, smooth with a white-waxy coating; leaks milky sap when bruised.

leaves: Leaves opposite (2-6 pairs), sessile and clasping, oblong or widely oval to elliptic, 3-5 in. long, with a pink midrib, wavy-margined, smooth and with a white-waxy coating.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers (15-80) in a rounded, terminal umbel; smoky purple, about 1/2 in. long, consisting of 5 strongly reflexed pinkish-green 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 an erect, spindle-shaped pod containing many tufted brown seeds.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern United States