Copy permalink to share

Asclepias purpurascens Linnaeus. Common name: Purple Milkweed. Phenology: (Apr-) May-Jul (-Sep); Jul-Oct. Habitat: Openings in moist bottomlands and swamp forests, prairies and meadows (rich, wet to mesic), woodlands, perhaps mostly on soils derived from mafic or calcareous rocks. Distribution: NH and s. ON west to WI, IA, and KS, south to NC, nw. TN (Chester, Wofford, & Kral 1997), ne. AL (Keener et al. 2024), KY, AR, and OK.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy : = Ar, C, Can, F, FNA14, G, GrPl, Il, K4, Mi, Mo2, NE, NY, Ok, Pa, RAB, S, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, Keener et al (2024), Woodson (1954). Basionym: Asclepias purpurascens L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Asclepias purpurascens - FNA14

Show in key(s)

Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)

Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
  • Great Plains: FACU
  • Midwest: FACU
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FACU

Heliophily : 7

Your browser does not support SVGs

Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.

image of plant© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Grant Morrow Parkins | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Grant Morrow Parkins | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Grant Morrow Parkins | Original Image ⭷

Feedback

See something wrong or missing on about Asclepias purpurascens? Let us know here: (Please include your name and email if at all complicated so we can clarify if needed.) We greatly appreciate feedback, and will include updates from you in our next webapp update, which can take a few months. If a species is not keyed, that's because keying is ongoing. Please don't send us feedback about unkeyed species.


Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect perennial of openings in moist bottomlands and swamp forests, prairies and woodlands; perhaps mostly on soils derived from mafic or calcareous rocks.

Stems: Stems solitary, light green, minutely hairy or with lines of hairs between leaf nodes; leaks milky sap when bruised.

Leaves: Leaves opposite (6+ pairs), petiolate, oval to elliptic or oval-oblong, 3-6 1/2 in. long, the sides often curling up from the pink central vein, smooth above, softly hairy (at least along veins) beneath.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in terminal cluster of 1-6 rounded umbels, each 2-3 in. wide; deep purple to deep rose (greenish in bud), about 3/4 in. long, consisting of 5 strongly reflexed corolla lobes and a lighter colored central crown--composed of 5 2-parted appendages ("hood" and "horn")--surrounding a complex structure of fused anthers and style.

Fruits: Fruit a furry, lance-shaped to oval follicle containing tufted seeds.

Comments:

Height: 1 1/4-3 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect perennial of openings in moist bottomlands and swamp forests, prairies and woodlands; perhaps mostly on soils derived from mafic or calcareous rocks.

stems: Stems solitary, light green, minutely hairy or with lines of hairs between leaf nodes; leaks milky sap when bruised.

leaves: Leaves opposite (6+ pairs), petiolate, oval to elliptic or oval-oblong, 3-6 1/2 in. long, the sides often curling up from the pink central vein, smooth above, softly hairy (at least along veins) beneath.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in terminal cluster of 1-6 rounded umbels, each 2-3 in. wide; deep purple to deep rose (greenish in bud), about 3/4 in. long, consisting of 5 strongly reflexed corolla lobes and a lighter colored central crown--composed of 5 2-parted appendages ("hood" and "horn")--surrounding a complex structure of fused anthers and style.

fruits: Fruit a furry, lance-shaped to oval follicle containing tufted seeds.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern North America



0 unsaved edits on this page.