Table of Contents for Large-flower Milkweed (Asclepias connivens)
Large-flower Milkweed (Asclepias connivens) is a herbaceous perennial that is found in the southeastern United States. This plant is a host to the Queen (Danaus gilippus) and Monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterflies. Growing up to 3 feet tall, this species has whitish to yellowish-green flowers that bloom from June to August. It is hardy in zones 8-11.
Taxonomy and Naming of Large-flower Milkweed (Asclepias connivens)
Taxonomy
Large-flower milkweed (Asclepias connivens) was named and described by William Baldwin, an American botanist, in 1817. His description was based on an earlier description by Stephen Elliott. The species has kept this name since and is a member of the Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae).
Meaning of the Scientific and Common Names
Scientific Name
The genus name, Asclepias, is named for the Greek god of healing, Asklepios (Flora of Wisconsin). The species name, connivens, comes from the latin word, conniveo, which means to bend or droop (Wordsense).
Common Name and Alternative Names
The common name describes the large size of the flowers. Another name is the same name, but without the hyphen. One name, Baldwin’s milkweed, uses the author of the plant.
Physical Description
- Plant Type: This plant is a herbaceous perennial.
- Height: This milkweed grows from 0.5 to 3 feet tall.
- Stem: The stems of this milkweed are essentially glabrous.
- Leaves: The leaves are opposite, simple, sessile to subsessile, entire, and oval to elliptic in shape. The leaves range in size from 1.5 to 5 inches in length and 0.4 to 2 inches in width (Woodson 1954) and Field Guide to Georgia Milkweeds (pdf). The leaves have been described as fleshy (Gray 1878) and as evergreen (Dave’s Garden).
- Flower color: White to greenish-yellow (Woodson 1954), sometimes with purple (Weakley 2022).
- Blooming period: This plant blooms from June to August.
- Fruiting type and period: This plant has follicles that mature in the late summer and fall.
Range of Large-flower Milkweed (Asclepias connivens) in the United States and Canada
This milkweed species is native to the southeastern United States from South Carolina west to Alabama. It is considered to be rare in the states of Alabama and South Carolina.
Habitat
This milkweed grows in pine barrens, flatwoods, bogs, marshes and swamp margins. This plant likes places where there is moist or wet soil.
Hosted Insects
This species is a host for the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and the Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus).
Other Supported Wildlife
This species is a nectar source to other butterflies, skippers, bees, and wasps during the growing season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this plant poisonous?
Like other milkweeds, it has cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) and is considered to be poisonous with ingestion. Because of the poisonous nature of the plant it is deer resistant.
Does this plant have any ethnobotanical uses?
The Native American Ethobotanical Database does not list this species specifically but milkweeds in general have been used for various pharmaceuticals, foods, and fibers.
How is this plant distinguished from other milkweeds?
This species is similar to red milkweed (Asclepias rubra), pineland milkweed (Asclepias obovata), and green comet milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) but all of these milkweeds have smaller corolla lobes than this milkweed.
Is this plant invasive?
This species has not been listed as invasive in the literature. This could be due to the limited habitat.
Gardening with Large-flower Milkweed (Asclepias connivens)
Hardiness
This species is hardy in zones 8-11. If your garden is within these zones and you have the right growing conditions (soil, moisture and exposure), you may well be able to grow this plant. However, if planted outside of its range, the hosted species may not recognize the plant or be harmed by ingesting a different species with an unfamiliar chemical composition.
Optimal Conditions
This species grows best in places it can receive full sun that have moist to wet soil.
References
- Gray, Asa. 1878. Synoptical Flora of North America. (New York: American Book Company).
- Weakley, A.S. and the Southeastern Flora Team. 2022. Flora of the southeastern United States. University of North Carolina Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden.
- Woodson, Robert E. 1954. The North American Species of Asclepias L. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 41: 1-211.
