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Home  /  Plants  /  Budburst Species  /  Asclepias syriaca
Phenology Observations Sheet for Wildflowers and Herbs

COMMON NAME

Common milkweed

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Asclepias syriaca

PLANT FAMILY

Dogbane family (Apocynaceae)

PLANT GROUP

Wildflowers and Herbs

Common milkweed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly life cycle. The milky sap or latex inside this plant, eaten by monarch caterpillars, is what makes the animal toxic to predators. This tall wildflower produces a globe of unique looking soft pink flowers.
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OBSERVERS
189+
OBSERVATIONS
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Identification hints

Common milkweed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly life cycle. The milky sap or latex inside this plant, eaten by monarch caterpillars, is what makes the animal toxic to predators. This tall wildflower produces a globe of unique looking soft pink flowers.

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Did you know?

Fibers pulled from the dead stems of Common milkweed can be used to create cord and rope. Many Native American tribes used parts of the milkweed plant to treat ailments. However, ingesting any part of Common milkweed can be toxic if not prepared properly.

DISTRIBUTION IN THE U.S.
Alabama , Arkansas , Connecticut , Delaware , Georgia , Iowa , Illinois , Indiana , Kansas , Kentucky , Louisiana , Massachusetts , Maryland , Maine , Michigan , Minnesota , Missouri , Mississippi , Montana , North Carolina , North Dakota , Nebraska , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , Ohio , Oklahoma , Oregon , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island , South Carolina , South Dakota , Tennessee , Texas , Virginia , Vermont , Wisconsin , West Virginia
HABITAT
There is no information available for this species

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