(Asclepias syriaca)
Common Milkweed

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Alternative Names

No other names are known for the plant.

Description of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Common milkweed (Ascelpias syriaca), a member of the Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family), is a herbaceous perennial that grows to 5 feet tall and blooms in the summer with green, pink, purple, or white flowers.  It is one of the main host plants of the Monarch butterfly.  The caterpillars of the Monarch Butterfly feed on the leaves of the milkweed, which gives them a toxic making them distasteful to predators.  More information on common milkweed on this blog post.

Hosted Species

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

Milkweed Tussock Moth

Nectar Species

Many other butterflies and bees use this plant as a nectar source.

Habitat

This milkweed grows in open areas such as meadows, fields, roadsides, and waste places.

Range of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) in the United States and Canada

Interesting Facts

The genus name, Asclepias, is the Greek name for the God of Medicine.  The species name, syriaca, means Syrian, since Carl von Linnaeus, who names and described the species thought it came from the country of Syria.