Asclepias syriaca
This downy member of the Milkweed family sports domed clusters of tiny pinkish flowers that are mostly in the leaf axils. The most prominent part of the flower is not its petals (which point downward), but instead a 5 part central column composed of 5 hoods that are attached to the stamens and the stigma. Each flower is ½ inch (1.3 cm) wide. The leaves are opposite, broad-oblong, light green with gray down on their underside and measure 4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 cm) long. Plants reach heights of 3 to 5 feet (.91 to 1.52 m) and are frequent along roadsides as well as in fields. Flowers bloom from June to August.Monarch butterfly larvae feed exclusively on milkweed. The cardiac glycosides in the milkweed are absorbed by the larvae and make them poisonous to birds and predators –even through adulthood.
Milkweed Seed Pod
