Saturday, April 26, 2014


MILKWEED
Monarch Caterpillars like Milkweed.
Plant Milkweed to help the Monarch Butterflies Survive. 



According to Wikipedia, there are 140 species of milkweed ( Asclepias ).
Included here are just a few, categorized regionally for North America, moving from the western coast of the North America to the eastern coast.
So, when you plant your milkweed for the Monarch butterflies it would be 
best to plant those species that are at home in your area. 
PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME SPECIES OF MILKWEED 
CONTAIN SAP THAT IS HIGHLY TOXIC IF INGESTED, 
TO LIVESTOCK, PETS, WILDLIFE, AND HUMANS.
Please research what you are planting .
Asclepias L. (1753), the milkweeds, is a genus of herbaceous perennial, dicotyledonous plants that contains over 140 known species. It previously belonged to the family Asclepiadaceae, but this is now classified as the subfamily Asclepiadoideae of the dogbane family Apocynaceae.

Milkweed is named for its milky juice which consists of a latex containing alkaloids and several other complex compounds including cardenolides. Some species are known to be toxic.
MILKWEED SPECIES
SOUTHWESTERN USA ~ NORTHERN MEXICO




Whitestem Milkweed
Asclepias albicans

 Asclepias albicans is a species of milkweed known by the common names whitestem milkweed and wax milkweed. It is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of California, Arizona, and Baja California. This is a spindly erect shrub growing usually 1 to 3 meters tall, but known to approach four meters. The sticklike branches are mostly naked, the younger ones coated in a waxy residue and a thin layer of woolly hairs. Leaves are ephemeral, growing in whorls of three on the lower branches and falling off after a short time. They are linear in shape and up to 3 centimeters long. The inflorescence is an umbel appearing at the tips of the long branches and sprouting from the sides at nodes. The inflorescence contains many small purple-tinted greenish flowers, each with a central array of bulbous hoods, and corollas reflexed back against the stalk. The plant may flower in any season except summer. The fruit is a large, long, thick follicle which dangles in bunches from the branch nodes.

 Asclepias albicans
 Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A.albicans
Binomial name: Asclepias albicans
S.Watson

Antelope horns
Asclepias asperula

 Asclepias asperula is a species of milkweed native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its common names include Antelope horns, green-flowered milkweed, and spider antelope horns.

It is a perennial plant growing to 0.6–2 m (1–2 feet) tall, with clustered greenish-yellow flowers with maroon highlights. It blooms from April through June, and favors moist, sandy or rocky soil.

Like several other species of milkweed, A. asperula is a food for monarch butterfly caterpillars. Along with being a source of nutrition for monarchs, the plants also contain alkaloids that the monarchs retain, making them unpalatable and poisonous to predators. For the same reason, A. asperula can be poisonous to livestock and other animals, including humans.

 Asclepias asperula
 Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:A. asperula
Binomial name: Asclepias asperula





Woollypod milkweed
Asclepias eriocarpa

 Asclepias eriocarpa is a species of milkweed known by the common names woollypod milkweed, Indian milkweed, and kotolo.
It is an erect perennial herb which is usually coated in a thick layer of white hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval, rippled, and arranged oppositely in pairs or in whorls of 3 or 4. The inflorescence is a large umbel-like cluster of flowers. Each flower is white to cream and usually tinted with bright pink. It has a central array of rounded hoods and a corolla reflexed against the stalk. The fruit is a large, woolly follicle.

Asclepias eriocarpa is native to California and adjacent parts of Nevada and Baja California, where it grows in many habitat types, especially dry areas.

Asclepias eriocarpa is a specific Monarch butterfly food and habitat plant.

 Asclepias eriocarpa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:A. eriocarpa
Binomial name:Asclepias eriocarpa
Benth.
Synonyms:Asclepias fremontii


Desert milkweed
Asclepias erosa



Asclepias erosa is a species of milkweed known commonly as desert milkweed. It is native to southern California, Arizona, and northern Baja California, where it is most abundant in the desert regions.
This milkweed, Asclepias erosa, is a perennial herb with erect yellow-green stems and foliage in shades of pale whitish-green to dark green with white veining. It may be hairless to very fuzzy. The sturdy, pointed leaves grow opposite on the stout stem. Atop the stem is a rounded umbel of yellowish or cream-colored flowers. Each flower has thick, reflexed corollas beneath a flower center composed of rounded, horned filaments.

Asclepias erosa is a specific Monarch butterfly food and habitat plant.

 Asclepias erosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:A. erosa
Binomial name:Asclepias erosa
Torr.


Pine need milkweed
Asclepias linaria

 Asclepias linaria is a species of milkweed known by the common name pineneedle milkweed. It is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of northern Mexico and the US states of California and Arizona. This is a large erect perennial herb or shrub coated in hairs and many narrow, green leaves which resemble pine needles. The inflorescence is an umbel-like cluster of flowers, each with pink-tinted rounded hoods at the center and greenish reflexed corollas. The fruit is a follicle.

 Asclepias linaria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:A. linaria
Binomial name :Asclepias linaria
Cav.


Mojave milkweed
Asclepias nyctaginifolia

 Asclepias nyctaginifolia is a species of milkweed known by the common name Mojave milkweed. It is native to the southwestern United States from California to New Mexico, where it grows mainly in desert habitat. This is a perennial herb growing up to about half a meter in maximum height when erect, but often bending or drooping. The thick leaves are oval to lance-shaped and arranged in opposite pairs about the stem. The leaves and stem are generally slightly hairy. The inflorescence is a dense umbel up to 8 centimeters wide and packed with pink-tinted pale green flowers. The fruit is a large follicle up to 9 centimeters long

 Asclepias nyctaginifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:A. nyctaginifolia
Binomial name:Asclepias nyctaginifolia
A.Gray






Rush milkweed
Asclepias subulata

Asclepias subulata is a species of milkweed known commonly as the rush milkweed, desert milkweed[1] or ajamete. This is an erect perennial herb which loses its leaves early in the season and stands as a cluster of naked stalks. Atop the stems are inflorescences of distinctive flowers. Each cream-white flower has a reflexed corolla that reveals the inner parts, a network of five shiny columns, each topped with a tiny hook. The fruit is a pouchlike follicle that contains many flat, oval seeds with long, silky hairlike plumes. This milkweed is native to the desert southwest of the United States and northern Mexico.

Asclepias subulata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. subulata
Binomial name :Asclepias subulata
Dcne.
_______________________________________________


MILKWEED SPECIES
WESTERN USA 



California milkweed
Asclepias californica

Asclepias californica is a species of milkweed known by the common name California milkweed. It grows throughout lower northern, central and southern California.
It is native to California and northern Baja California. It is a flowering perennial with thick, white, woolly stems which bend or run along the ground. The plentiful, hanging flowers are rounded structures with reflexed corollas and starlike arrays of bulbous anthers. The flowers are dull to bright shades of lavender or pink.

Asclepias californica is an important and specific Monarch butterfly food plant in nectar and vegetation, and cocoon habitat plant. The alkaloids they ingest from the plant are retained in the butterfly, making it unpalatable to predators.[1]

Asclepias californica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:A. californica
Binomial name :Asclepias californica
Greene
Serpentine milkweed
Asclepias solanoana

 Asclepias solanoana is a rare species of milkweed known by the common names serpentine milkweed, prostrate milkweed, and solanoa. It is endemic to California, where it grows only in the North Coast Ranges north of the San Francisco Bay Area. This is a robust perennial herb producing smooth purple stems which lie prostrate along the ground. The thick leaves are arranged oppositely in pairs along the stem. The leaf has an oval or heart-shaped blade supported on a short petiole. The inflorescence is a heavy spherical cluster of flowers. Each flower has a central array of rounded hoods which are pink to brown and a corolla which is reflexed against the stalk or extends outwards.

 Asclepias solanoana
 Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. solanoana
Binomial name:Asclepias solanoana
Woodson[1]
Synonyms[1]
Gomphocarpus purpurascens A.Gray (Illegitimate, non A.Rich.)
Schizonotus purpurascens (A.Gray) A.Gray
Solanoa purpurascens (A.Gray) Greene
Solanoana purpurascens (A.Gray) Greene ex Kuntze







Heart-leaf milkweed
Asclepias cordifolia



Asclepias cordifolia is a species of milkweed commonly called heart-leaf milkweed or purple milkweed (a common name shared with another milkweed, Asclepias purpurascens).[1] It is native to the western United States (California, Nevada, Oregon), growing between 50 to 2,000 m (160 to 6,560 ft) elevation in the northern Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges. Heart-leaf milkweed was valued by the Native American Miwok tribe for its stems, which they dried and processed into string and rope.[2]

 Heart-leaf milkweed is a perennial that grows to a height of 0.3 to 0.6 m (1 to 2 ft), with dark red-purple flowers whose hoods are slightly elevated above the base of the corolla.[3] The flower structure is unusual—it has five stamens fused into a column, with five circular attachments called 'hoods', and an anther head surrounding the large stigma at the flower's center. The fruit (photo at left) is a follicle with many flat seeds that have silky hairs which disperse easily in the wind. The large opposite leaves are cordate, or heart-shaped.[4] The plant grows in open or shaded woodland, often on rocky slopes and in mixed coniferous forest.[5] The milkweeds are named for the milky sap which exudes from the plant's stem.[4]

 Taxonomy :
The species name, cordifolia (Latin for 'heart-leaved'), refers to the heart-shaped leaves, while the genus name honors the Greek physician Asclepius.[5]

 Monarch butterfly caterpillars are commonly found on all the milkweeds, including the heart-leaf milkweed. Even after the caterpillar has metamorphosed into a butterfly, the alkaloids they ingest from the plant are retained in the butterfly, making it unpalatable to predators.[4]
At one time it was classified as a noxious weed because of reported negative effects on livestock.[6]

 Asclepias cordifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:A. cordifolia
Binomial name :Asclepias cordifolia
(Benth.) Jeps.






Pallid milkweed
Asclepias cryptoceras



Asclepias cryptoceras is a species of milkweed known by the common names pallid milkweed, Humboldt Mountains milkweed, and cow-cabbage.[1] It is native to the western United States, where it grows in many types of habitat, especially dry areas. This is a perennial herb growing low against the ground or drooping. It arises from a fleshy, woody rhizome-like root. The thick leaves are round to heart-shaped and arranged oppositely on the short stem. The inflorescence is a cluster of small flowers with centers of bright to dull pink hoods surrounded by pale-colored reflexed corollas. The fruit is a follicle held erect on a small stalk.

 The Paiute people used the plant as a medicinal remedy, preparing the roots for headache and sores, and the latex for ringworm.[2]

Asclepias cryptoceras
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. cryptoceras
Binomial name: Asclepias cryptoceras
S.Watson






Narrow-leaf milkweed
Asclepias fascicularis

 Asclepias fascicularis is a species of milkweed known by the common names narrowleaf milkweed and Mexican whorled milkweed. This plant is common in the Western United States.
It is a flowering perennial sending up many thin, erect stems and bearing distinctive long pointed leaves which are very narrow and often whorled about the stem, giving the plant its common names. It blooms in clusters of lavender or lavender-tinted white flowers which have five reflexed lobes that extend down away from the blossom. The fruits are smooth milkweed pods which split open to spill seeds along with plentiful silky hairs.

 Asclepias fascicularis has the potential to become weedy.

 Asclepias fascicularis is a specific Monarch butterfly food and habitat plant.

 Asclepias fascicularis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. fascicularis
Binomial name:Asclepias fascicularis
Dcne.
Showy milkweed
Asclepias speciosa

 Asclepias speciosa is a species of milkweed known commonly as the showy milkweed. It is native to the western half of North America.

 This flowering plant is a hairy, erect perennial. The large, pointed, bananalike leaves are arranged opposite on the stalklike stem. The eye-catching furry pale pink to pinkish-purple flowers are arranged in thick umbels. Their corollas are reflexed and the central flower parts, five hoods with prominent hooks, are star-shaped. The fruit is a large, rough follicle filled with many flat oval seeds with luxuriant silky plumes.

 Many Native American peoples use all parts of this plant for a great number of medicinal uses and ate some parts as a food.

 Asclepias speciosa is a specific Monarch butterfly food and habitat plant.

 Asclepias speciosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. speciosa
Binomial name: Asclepias speciosa
Torr.




Wheel milkweed
Asclepias uncialis

 Asclepias uncialis is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family known by the common name wheel milkweed. It is native to the western United States.[1] Two subspecies are sometimes described, with ssp. ruthiae containing three plants which are sometimes described as separate species, Asclepias ruthiae, A. eastwoodiana, and A. sanjuanensis.[2]

 This species is a small perennial herb with stems just a few inches long. Like most other milkweeds, the stems contain a milky sap. There are two different leaf types. The lower leaves are lance-shaped to oval, and the upper leaves are narrower. Flowers occur at the ends of the stems in clusters of up to 12. They are pinkish purple in color. The fruit is a follicle containing seeds which each have a tuft of silky hairs up to an inch long. The plant may be considered "semi-rhizomatous", as what appear to be separate individuals may actually be connected underground by the root crown, which may be up to a foot deep in the soil.[2]

 This plant is less common than it was 100 to 150 years ago. It was collected in greater numbers then and appears to have had a larger distribution. There are many historical occurrences that are gone today. There are about 20 occurrences known today.[2]

 This plant occurs along the edge of the southern Rocky Mountains in what may be considered the western Great Plains. This distribution generally excludes what is sometimes called ssp. ruthiae, which has a distribution extending west to Nevada.[2] The habitat is mostly shortgrass prairie.[1][2] The amount of available habitat has declined over the years due to its conversion to agricultural purposes, including rangeland. The land is dominated by grasses, particularly Bouteloua species. Other species include Buchloë dactyloides, Hesperostipa comata, Koeleria macrantha, Pascopyrum smithii, Aristida purpurea, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. There are also shrubs such as the sagebrush Artemisia tridentata. The plant may also be found in grass-dominated parts of pinyon-juniper woodland habitat and other open woodlands. The plants may grow at the bases of large features such as mesas, but they do not occur on rock outcrops or disturbed habitat such as dunes. It is not restricted to any particular soil type.[2]

 There are several threats to the species. One is an unknown threat probably related to the plant's biology that is evidenced by its absence in large stretches of appropriate habitat and its absence from an assemblage of surviving native plants. It may have low rates of sexual reproduction.[2]

 Conservation status
Vulnerable (NatureServe)
Asclepias uncialis
 Scientific classification
Order:Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:A. uncialis
Binomial name :Asclepias uncialis
Greene





Welsh's milkweed
Asclepias welshii

 Asclepias welshii is a rare species of milkweed known by the common name Welsh's milkweed. It is native to southern Utah and northern Arizona, where there are four known occurrences remaining.[1] Most of the plants occur in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, where the habitat has been degraded in many areas by off-road vehicle use.[1][2] It is a federally listed threatened species of the United States.

 This is an erect perennial herb growing up to a meter tall. It is "a rather handsome milkweed" which "is a very distinctive species with no obvious close relatives," according to Holmgren and Holmgren, who described the plant in 1979.[3] It grows from a sturdy rhizome system that anchors it in the unstable sands of its native dune habitat, with several aboveground stems arising from one rhizome system. For this reason, it is not possible to get an accurate count of how many individual plants actually exist, since several widely spaced stems may actually belong to one plant; estimates of the number of plants remaining are based on stem counts.[1] The rhizomes can penetrate very deeply into the dunes, possibly even to the bedrock at the base, and all the plants in one colony may actually be one individual with clones.[4] There are perhaps 20,000 stems, according to count data, for an unknown number of genetically separate individuals.[1] The plant colonizes empty dunes[1] and is eventually outcompeted when other plant species move into the area.[5] A pioneer species of blowouts, it often grows alongside blowout grass (Redfieldia flexuosa), a resident of this habitat type.[4]

 The upright stem has several oppositely arranged pairs of leaves up to 9 centimeters long by 6 wide. The stem and leaves are covered in a dense coat of woolly hairs, especially the new leaves. The hairs may prevent the plant from losing water in its dry habitat, or protect the plant tissues from the scouring action of windblown sand.[6] The inflorescence is a dense ball of many flowers, the whole head measuring around 7 centimeters wide.[6] Each flower is just under a centimeter long and white in color with a pale pink center. The fruit is a warty follicle containing large hair-tufted seeds that measure at least 2 centimeters in length. Many plants do not produce many mature fruits and undergo vegetative reproduction, spreading via the rhizome.[6] The plant may be difficult to identify if not in its mature form; the two immature forms look very different.[5] The smallest form which emerges through the sand from the rhizome has narrow linear leaves very unlike those the mature plant, and the secondary form has leaves intermediate to the two.[4]

 The largest population of the plant at Coral Pink Dunes State Park, particularly the half managed by the Bureau of Land Management, has been impacted by off-road vehicle use, but such activity in the area has not increased since the plant was listed for protection.[4] Park staff keeps track of off-road vehicle activity on the grounds.[4] ORVs are not allowed in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, where there is a widespread occurrence.[7] The plant also occurs south of the Utah border in Arizona. This population is on Navajo Nation territory, which is remote, unmonitored, and not thought to be impacted by human activity.[1]

 Asclepias welshii
Conservation status
Critically Imperiled (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:A. welshii
Binomial name:Asclepias welshii
N.H.Holmgren & P.K.Holmgren


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Milkweed 
Central USA and Canada


Sullivant's milkweed
Asclepias sullivantii

 Asclepias sullivantii is a species of flowering plant in the milkweed genus, Asclepias. Common names include prairie milkweed, Sullivant's milkweed, and smooth milkweed.[1][2] It is native to North America, where it occurs in the central United States and Ontario in Canada.[3]

 This is a perennial herb growing from deep rhizomes. The stem is 40 centimeters to just over one meter tall. The ovate, pointed leaves are oppositely arranged. The blades have wavy margins, reddish midveins, and hairless undersides. They curve up on the stem. Pale to deep pinkish purple flowers are borne in rounded clusters from the leaf axils. The fruit is a greenish follicle. The flowers are insect-pollinated, but the plant often reproduces vegetatively via the rhizome.[3]

 This species is very similar to Asclepias syriaca, the common milkweed, and the two easily hybridize. Common milkweed can be distinguished by several characters. Its blunt-tipped leaf blades have a coating of hairs on the undersides and are straight on the stem, not curving up. The flowers are smaller and more numerous, and the surface of the follicle is rougher.[3]

 Habitat and Ecology
The native habitat of the plant includes prairie and meadows.[2] It grows in moist areas, such as river bottomland.[1]

 Ecology
Insects that take nectar from the plant include bumblebees and other bees, wasps, ants, flies, and butterflies. The caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly feed on the foliage. The larva of the milkweed leaf-miner (Liriomyza asclepiades) mine the leaves. Aphids that can be found on the plant include the yellow milkweed aphid (Aphis nerii), black aphid (Aphis rumicis), and the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae).[4]

 The Ruby-throated Hummingbird takes nectar.[4]

 Toxicity
Most Asclepias are toxic if consumed in large quantities due to cardiac glycoside content.[2]

 Asclepias sullivantii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. sullivantii
Binomial name :Asclepias sullivantii
Engelm. ex A.Gray
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Milkweed 
Midwestern USA



Mead’s milkweed
Asclepias meadii

 Asclepias meadii is a rare species of milkweed known by the common name Mead's milkweed. It is native to the American Midwest, where it was probably once quite widespread in the tallgrass prairie.[1] Today much of the Midwest has been fragmented and claimed for agriculture, and the remaining prairie habitat is degraded.[1]

 The plant is a federally listed threatened species due to this destruction of its habitat.[1] Factors contributing to its rarity include mowing and plowing, erosion, loss of a natural prairie fire regime, pesticides directly applied or drifting from nearby agricultural operations, invasive plant species, trampling by hikers, loss of native insect pollinators, and predation by a number of insect species.[1]

 Distribution
The only naturally-occurring populations of the plant are located in Missouri and Illinois, and populations have been reintroduced to Indiana and Wisconsin, where the plant had been extirpated.[2] There are also some populations in Kansas and Iowa, but few of these may last, especially in Kansas, where they occur on private hay fields that are mowed frequently.[2]

 Description
This is a rhizomatous perennial herb with a waxy erect stem growing up to about 40 centimeters tall. Blue-green, herringbone-patterned leaves occur in opposite pairs about the stem. The lance-shaped blades are smooth and sometimes wavy along the edges, and measure up to 8 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a nodding umbel of 6 to 23 fragrant flowers. Each flower has five petals up to a centimeter long which are green or purple-tinged when new and grow paler as they age. Behind them are five reflexed sepals. The flowers are nectar-rich[2] and are pollinated by digger bees (Anthophora spp.), bumblebees (Bombus spp.),[3] and other bees. The fruit is a follicle up to 8 centimeters long containing hairy seeds. The species is long-lived, taking at least four years to reach sexual maturity and living for several decades,[3] possibly over a century.[1]

 Reproduction
The species often reproduces vegetatively by sprouting more stems from its rhizome. It also sometimes reproduces sexually by producing seed. A reduction in genetic diversity is a threat to the species, because human activity and other processes have favored vegetative reproduction, a cloning of the plants that does not remix genes.[2][4] Mowing chops off the flowers or immature fruits, preventing seed production.[2] Fragmentation of the habitat reduces the number of nearby plants that can trade pollen and the likelihood of visits from common pollinating insects.[1]

 Fire ecology
The plant is adapted to occasional prairie fire, and the suppression of such fires is detrimental. [5] Fire may have a number of beneficial fire ecology effects on the plant, including increases in leaf and flower production and in genetic diversity. [6]

 Insect ecology
Insect pests that eat the plant include the milkweed beetles Tetraopes femoratus and Tetraopes tetraophthalamus and the milkweed weevils Rhyssematus annectans and Rhyssematus lineaticollis.[3] This plant, like many other milkweeds, hosts the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).[3]

 Asclepias meadii
 Conservation status
Imperiled (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. meadii
Binomial name :Asclepias meadii
Torr. ex A.Gray


_______________________________________________
Milkweed 
 Eastern USA Some Parts of Eastern Canada
Poke milkweed
Asclepias exaltata

 Asclepias exaltata is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae known by the common names poke milkweed and tall milkweed. It is native to eastern North America. It blooms from late spring to early summer. The flowers are green and white. Poke milkweed is found in moist woodland habitats. It grows in moist soil and sunny or partly shaded places. It grows from 0.6 to 1.5 meters tall (2–5 feet).[1]

 Asclepias exaltata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. exaltata
Binomial name:Asclepias exaltata
L.






Fourleaf milkweed
Asclepias quadrifolia

 Asclepias quadrifolia is a species of milkweed commonly called Fourleaf milkweed or Purple milkweed. It is a perennial native to the eastern United States and Canada. Unlike more commonly-known species such as common milkweed or butterflyweed, it is a woodland denizen. It blooms late spring to mid-summer.

 Asclepias quadrifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. quadrifolia
Binomial name :Asclepias quadrifolia
Jacq.







Commom milkweed
Asclepias syriaca

 Asclepias syriaca, commonly called common milkweed, butterfly flower, silkweed, silky swallow-wort, and Virginia silkweed, is a species of flowering plant. It is in the genus Asclepias, the milkweeds. This species is native to Southern Canada and of much of the conterminous Eastern U.S., east of the Rocky Mountains, excluding the drier parts of the Prairies. It grows in sandy soils and other kinds of soils in sunny areas. It was one of the earliest North American species described in Cornut's 1635 work Canadensium Plantarum Historia. The specific name was reused by Linnaeus due to Cornut's confusion with a species from Asia Minor.

 Common milkweed is a perennial herb growing up to 2.6 m tall from a rhizome. The all parts of common milkweed plants produce white latex when broken. The leaves are opposite or sometimes whorled; simple, broad ovate-lanceolate; up to 25 cm long and 12 cm broad, usually with undulate margins and reddish main veins. They have very short petioles and velvety undersides.

 The fragrant,nectariferous flowers occur in umbellate cymes. Individual flowers are about 1 cm in diameter, each with five cornate hoods and five pollinia. The seeds, each with long, white flossy hairs, occur in large follicles.

 The plant's latex contains large quantities of glycosides, making the leaves and seed pods toxic to sheep and other large mammals, and potentially humans (though large quantities of the foul-tasting parts would need to be eaten). The young shoots, young leaves, flower buds and immature fruits are all edible raw.

 Concerns about milkweed bitterness and toxicity can be traced back to Euell Gibbons, author of Stalking the Wild Asparagus (1962). It is theorized that Gibbons inadvertently prepared dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum), a poisonous look-alike instead. He devised a method to remove the bitterness and toxicity by plunging the young shoots into boiling water (not cold) and cooking for one minute, repeating the procedure at least three times to make the plant safe to eat. Gibbons' method was copied from book to book, dominating edible plants literature for forty years. Most modern foragers consider the bitterness/toxicity issue a myth. The plants have no bitterness when tasted raw, and can be cooked like asparagus, with no special processing.[1]

 Failed attempts have been made to exploit rubber (from the latex) and fiber (from the seed's floss) production from the plant industrially. The fluffy seed hairs have been used as the traditional background for mounted butterflies. The compressed floss has a beautiful silk-like sheen. The plant has also been explored for commercial use of its bast (inner bark) fiber which is both strong and soft. U. S. Department of Agriculture studies in the 1890s and 1940s found that Milkweed has more potential for commercial processing than any other indigenous bast fiber plant, with estimated yields as high as hemp and quality as good as flax. Both the bast fiber and the floss were used historically by Native Americans for cordage and textiles. Milkweed oil from the seeds can be easily converted into cinnamic acid, which is a very potent sunscreen when used at a 1-5% concentration.

 Many insects live on the plant, including the milkweed beetle (Tetraopes tetraophtalmus), the large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus), the small milkweed bug (Lygaeus kalmii), the milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis), the weevil species Rhyssomatus lineaticollis, and the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). The larva of the Monarch butterfly specializes on milkweeds, and its populations are affected when milkweeds are eliminated from cropland with pesticides.

 Deforestation due to European settlement may have expanded the range and density of milkweed. The plant can become invasive and often acts as a weed. It is naturalized in several areas outside of its native range, including Oregon and parts of Europe.

 Asclepias syriaca
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Asclepiadaceae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. syriaca
Binomial name: Asclepias syriaca
L.






Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa

 Asclepias tuberosa is a species of milkweed native to eastern North America. It is a perennial plant growing to 0.3–1 metre (1 ft 0 in–3 ft 3 in) tall, with clustered orange or yellow flowers from early summer to early fall. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, 5–12 cm long, and 2–3 cm broad.

 This plant favors dry, sand or gravel soil, but has also been reported on stream margins. It requires full sun.

 It is commonly known as Butterfly Weed because of the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. It is also the larval food plant of the Queen and Monarch butterflies. Hummingbirds, bees and other insects are also attracted.[2]

 Extracts were used by Native Americans as an expectorant for wet coughs and other pulmonary ailments.[citation needed] Use of the herb is contraindicated in pregnancy, during lactation or with infants due to the small amount of cardiac glycosides.[3]

 Identification
The plant looks similar to the Lanceolate Milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata), but is uniquely identified by the larger number of flowers, and the hairy stems that are not milky when broken. It is most commonly found in fields with dry soil.

 Propagation
Most easily propagated by seed. Sewn outdoors after frost, a plant will flower and produce seed in the third year. Difficult to transplant once established. Loewer, Peter 'Native Perennials For the Southeast' Cool Springs Press. Nashville, Tenn. 2005 ISBN 1-59186-121-7 [4][5]

 It does not spread easily.[6]

 Subspecies[edit]
Asclepias tuberosa interior (Central United States)
Asclepias tuberosa rolfsii – Rolfs Milkweed (Southeastern United States)
Asclepias tuberosa tuberosa (Eastern United States)
Common names[edit]
Common names include Butterfly Weed,[7] Canada Root, Chieger Flower,[7] Chiggerflower, Fluxroot, Indian Paintbrush, Indian Posy, Orange Milkweed, Orange root,[8] Orange Swallow-wort, Pleurisy Root,[7] Silky Swallow-wort, Tuber Root, Yellow Milkweed, White-root, Windroot, Butterfly Love, Butterflyweed, and Butterfly Milkweed.[9]

 Asclepias tuberosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. tuberosa
Binomial name :Asclepias tuberosa
L.
Synonyms[1]
Acerates decumbens Decne.
Asclepias decumbens L.
Asclepias elliptica Raf.
Asclepias lutea Raf. nom. illeg.
Asclepias revoluta Raf.
Asclepias rolfsii Britton ex Vail
_______________________________________________


Milkweed 
 Eastern and Southern Coastal USA




Sandhill milkweed
Asclepias humistrata

 Sandhill Milkweed (Asclepias humistrata) is a species of milkweed plant. It is also known as Pinewoods Milkweed. It belongs in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae. It is native to the southeastern United States. It blooms in early summer. The flowers are pink. It is found in sandy woodlands and sandy hills. Sandhill Milkweed likes dry soil and sunny places. It grows from 0.3 to 0.9 meters tall (1–3 feet).[1]

 Asclepias humistrata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A.humistrata
Binomial name:Asclepias humistrata
Walter




Lanceolate milkweed (Cedar Hill milkweed)
Asclepias lanceolata

The Fewflower Milkweed, Asclepias lanceolata, is a species of milkweed that is native to the coastal plain of the United States from New Jersey to Florida and Southeast Texas.[1] A. lanceolata is an upright, perennial plant that can grow between 3 and 5 feet tall, with red-orange flowers blooming in the summer months.[2] It can also be referred to as Cedar Hill Milkweed, as it was first described by Dr. Eli Ives in the neighborhood of Cedar Hill in New Haven, Connecticut.[3]

 Distribution
Asclepias lanceolata is found on the costal plains of Eastern and Southeastern United States. Populations of this milkweed are found in the following states: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. It is distributed throughout most of Florida but only found in small areas of southeast Texas.[1] Further details on state county distributions can be found on the USDA's plant profile for this species. A. lanceolata is on display at the Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, Mississippi.[2]

 Habitat and Ecology
Fewflower Milkweed is a perennial plant that can be frequently found in marshes (fresh and brackish), low glades, and wet pine barrens. It prefers sandy and loamy soils that are well-drained, but can also survive in poorly drained swampy soils.[4] Optimum soil pH is between 5 and 7, however it can grow within a range of 4.5 to 7.5. While it can grow in semi-shaded areas, it prefers a sunny site. A. lanceolata is adapted to a precipitation zone that ranges from 500 to 1500 mm annually, and a temperature that ranges from 8 to 35 degrees Celsius. Optimum precipitation range is 600 to 1400 mm per year, and optimum temperate ranges from 12 to 30 degrees Celsius. This milkweed can withstand winter temperatures down to -25 degrees Celsius.[5] In the wild, it is often found growing near Salt Marsh Mallow, Kosteletzkya virginica.[2] This plant is susceptible to damage by slugs, especially when it is young and vulnerable.[5]

 Flowers and Fruit
Flowers of Asclepias lanceolata are bright red-orange and can reach up to 1 cm wide. They first bloom in the early summer months of May and June and continue into July and August. The flowers are bisexual, having both male and female reproductive structures. They have five sepals, five petals, and exhibit actinomorphic (radial) symmetry.[5] Fruits of this species are described as slender pods or follicles containing tiny seeds. The seeds ripen in September and have tiny hairs that aid in wind dispersal.[4][8]

 Pollination
Individuals of this species can outbreed or self-fertilize, and pollinators play a very important role in their life cycle. This species is pollinated by bees, insects, and members of Lepidoptera. It serves as a host plant for larvae of monarch, queen, and soldier butterflies (Danaus plexippus, Danaus gilippus, and Danaus eresimus, respectively). It also serves as a source of nectar for adult butterflies and insects.[8] Researchers have concluded that A. lanceolata provides a high-quality nectar resource for its pollinating helpers.[7]

Scientific classification
Asclepias lanceolata
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Asclepiadaceae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A.lanceolata
Binomial name:Asclepias lanceolata
Walter






Purple milkweed
Asclepias purpurascens

Purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) is a herbaceous plant species. It is in the genus Asclepias, making it a type of milkweed. It is native to the Eastern, Southern and Midwestern United States similar to the range of the Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). The plant gets its name from the flowers that first develop a pink color but then turn darker purple as they mature.

 Like other members of the milkweeds, several insects live off the plant, including the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus), the Milkweed beetle (Tetraopes tetraophtalmus), Large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus), Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii) and Milkweed Leaf Beetle (Labidomera clivicollis). Other insects and pollinators feed off the flower's nectar.

 This species is sometimes cultivated in gardens designed to attract butterflies, but is less common than the light purple Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) or the orange Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). The nectar of the plant attracts many other species of butterflies and insects as well.

Asclepias purpurascens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A.purpurascens
Binomial name :Asclepias purpurascens
L.
Gallery


Young developing plants show foliage reminiscent of Asclepias syriaca.

Undeveloped flower buds are light green

Flower buds turn pink before opening

Closeup of an unopened flower

A newly bloomed flower head

Flower closeup from the top

A red ant feeding on the flower's nectar

Mature flowers are darker purple.

_______________________________________________




Milkweed 
North America 


Blunt-leaved milkweed
Asclepias amplexicaulis

Asclepias amplexicaulis (Blunt-leaved Milkweed, Clasping Milkweed) is a species of milkweed, in the subfamily Asclepiadaceae,[1] which is cited as a wildflower native to the United States,[2] mostly found in Central and Eastern areas and grown in the spring time. It is found growing in dry fields and open woods, usually in sandy soil and 1–3 feet in height.[3] It contains a poison dangerous to humans and livestock, special care must be taken when using this plant.[4]

 Asclepias amplexicaulis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A.amplexicaulis
Binomial name :Asclepias amplexicaulis
Sm.








Mexican Butterfly weed, Scarlet milkweed, tropical milkweed, bloodroot bloodflower, bastard ipecacuanha
Asclepias curassavica

 Asclepias curassavica, commonly known as tropical milkweed,[4] is a flowering plant species of the milkweed genus, Asclepias.[2] It is native to the American tropics[5] and has a pantropical distribution as an introduced species. Other comon names include bloodflower or blood flower,[4] hierba de la cucaracha,[4] Mexican butterfly weed, scarlet milkweed,[4] and wild ipecacuanha.[4]

 It is grown as an ornamental garden plant and as a source of food for butterflies. Notably, it attracts members of the Danainae subfamily, such as the Monarch and the Queen.

 Typical plants are evergreen perennial subshrubs that grow up to 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and have pale gray stems. The leaves are arranged oppositely on the stems and are lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate shaped ending in acuminate or acute tips. Like other members of the genus, the sap is milky. The flowers are in cymes with 10-20 flowers each. They have purple or red corollas and corona lobes that are yellow or orange. Flowering occurs nearly year round.[5] The 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) long, fusiform shaped fruits are called follicles. The follicles contain tan to brown seeds that are ovate in shape and 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) long. The flat seeds have silky hairs that allow the seeds to float on air currents when the pod-like follicles dehisce (split open).[6]

 There are a number of different cultivars with improved flower colors and shorter habit, some have brilliant red, yellow or orange colored flowers. Asclepias curassavica is excellent in butterfly gardens or as a cut flower. However, when the stems or leaves are broken, a poisonous milky sap exudes which can cause eye injury.[7]

 Asclepias curassavica is described by NatureServe as a "widespread species, ranging from southern North America through Central America and into South America."[1]
It is an introduced species in the US states of California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas, as well as the US unincorporated territories of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.[8]
It has been introduced and naturalized in the Chinese provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, and Zhejiang, as well as in Taiwan.[5]
It is considered an exotic plant, but not a weed, at the Meteor Downs South Project near Rolleston, Queensland, Australia.[9]

 Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae[2]
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A.curassavica
Binomial name:Asclepias curassavica
L.
Synonyms:Asclepias nivea var. curassavica (L.) Kuntze[3]










Swamp milkweed
Asclepias incarnata



Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed, rose milkweed, swamp silkweed, and white Indian hemp) is a herbaceous perennial plant species native to North America.[2] It grows in damp to wet soils and also is cultivated as a garden plant for its flowers, which attract butterflies and other pollinators with nectar. Like most other milkweeds, it has sap containing toxic chemicals,[3] a characteristic that repels insects and other herbivorous animals.

 Swamp milkweed is an upright, 100- to 150-centimeter (39- to 59-inches) tall plant, growing from thick, fleshy, white roots. Typically, its stems are branched and the clump forming plants emerge in late spring after most other plants have begun growth for the year. The oppositely arranged leaves are 7 to 15 centimeters (2.75 to 6 inches) long and are narrow and lance-shaped, with the ends tapering to a sharp point.

 The plants bloom in early to mid-summer, producing small, fragrant, pink to mauve (sometimes white) colored flowers in rounded umbels. The flower color may vary from darker shades of purple to soft, pinkish purple and a white flowering form exists as well. The flowers have five reflexed petals and an elevated central crown. After blooming, green seed pods, approximately 12 centimeters (4.5 inches) long, are produced that when ripe, split open. They then release light to dark brown, flat seeds that are attached to silver-white silky-hairs ideal for catching the wind. This natural mechanism for seed dispersal is similar to that used by other milkweed plants.[4]

 Habitat
Swamp milkweed prefers moisture retentive to damp soils in full sun to partial shade and typically, is found growing wild near the edges of ponds, lakes, streams, and low areas—or along ditches.[5] It is one of the best attractors of the Monarch Butterfly, which feeds on the flowers and lays her eggs on the plants. The emerging caterpillars feed on the leaves.

 The plants have specialized roots for living in heavy wet soils. The scented, thick, white roots are adapted to live in environments low in oxygen. Blooming occurs in mid to late summer and after blooming; long, relatively thin, rounded, pods are produced that grow uprightly. The pods split open in late summer to late fall, releasing seeds that are attached to silky hairs, which act as parachutes that carry the seeds on the currents of the wind.

 Cultivation
This species is cultivated frequently and a number of cultivars are available. They are used especially in gardens designed to attract butterflies. The nectar of the plant attracts many other species of butterflies and insects as well. The plants are also sold as freshly cut flowers, mostly for their long-lasting flower display, but sometimes, for the distinctive seed pods.

 Asclepias incarnata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. incarnata
Binomial name:Asclepias incarnata
L.







White milkweed
Asclepias variegata






Green Antelopehorn, Green milkweed, Spider milkweed
Asclepias viridis



Asclepias viridis is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family known by the common names green milkweed, green antelopehorn, and spider milkweed. It is native to the southcentral and southeastern United States.[1]

 This milkweed is a perennial herb with alternately arranged leaves. The inflorescence is an umbel of white flowers with purplish centers.[2]

 This species grows on many types of soil. It is common in overgrazed pasture land and roadsides.[2]

 This, like some other milkweed species, is a host plant for the monarch butterfly.[3]

 Asclepias viridis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Order:Gentianales
Family:Apocynaceae
Subfamily:Asclepiadoideae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A.viridis
Binomial name :Asclepias viridis
Walter


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepiasviridiflora.jpg

Green milkweed
Asclepias viridiflora
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_viridiflora



Asclepias viridiflora, called the "green milkweed," is a widely distributed species of milkweed known from much of the eastern and central United States from Connecticut to Georgia to Arizona to Montana, as well as southern Canada.

 Asclepias viridiflora is an erect to ascending herb up to 50 cm tall, with distinctive greenish-white flowers. The pods lack the warts and tubercules common on other species of Asclepias.[2][3][4]

 Asclepias viridiflora
Scientific classification
Family:Apocynaceae
Genus:Asclepias
Species:A. viridiflora
Binomial name:Asclepias viridiflora
Raf.
Synonyms[1]
Acerates ivesii (Britton) Wooton & Standl.
Acerates lanceolata Steud.
Acerates viridiflora (Raf.) Eaton
Acerates viridiflora var. ivesii Britton
Acerates viridiflora var. lanceolata (E.Ives) A.Gray
Asclepias ivesii (Britton) Wooton & Standl.
Asclepias lanceolata Ives
Asclepias viridiflora var. lanceolata (E.Ives) Torr.
Asclepias viridiflora var. linearis (A.Gray) Fernald
Asclepias viridiflora var. pubescentitomentosa Hook.
Gomphocarpus viridiflorus (Raf.) Spreng.
Otanema ovata Raf.
Polyotus heterophyllus Nutt.




Milkweed in seed



Asclepias species produce their seeds in follicles. The seeds, which are arranged in overlapping rows, have white, silky, filament-like hairs known as pappus, silk, or floss. The follicles ripen and split open, and the seeds, each carried by several dried pappi, are blown by the wind. They have many different flower colorations.








Happy Spring!
Plant Milkweed for Monarch Butterflies 


Let’s get ready for the return of the monarchs! Happy National Planting Day, and a big welcome to Spring.


In April, monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico will start their return to the United States, and they’ll need food, shelter, and places to lay their eggs when they arrive. Milkweed is essential to their survival.


Pledge to plant a milkweed patch this spring and help monarchs on their way!


Millions of these beautiful butterflies travel from as far north as Canada to central Mexico each fall to spend the winter, and return to their breeding range in the spring. The remarkable migration takes several monarch generations.
Tragically, this amazing natural phenomenon is fading away. 
The monarch population is declining and for the past two years, overwintering numbers in Mexico were the lowest on record since monitoring began in 1994.


Monarchs need milkweed to survive. Milkweed is the only food of monarch caterpillars. Sadly milkweed is disappearing, falling victim to heavy use of herbicide and monocrop agriculture. 


Without our help, the monarchs’ amazing migration may become a thing of the past. Make space for monarchs when you plant your yard or garden this year. Join us in taking the Monarch Madness pledge to plant milkweed this year.
Our friends at: 
The Xerces Society have all the resources you need to find milkweed native to your region. http://wg.convio.net/site/R?i=ZYu8Xu2GPQdpFCSxTVShDQ


Your school or non-profit can apply for free milkweed plants from : 
Monarch Watch 
If you can’t plant this spring, you can also plant milkweed seed this fall for next spring’s migration. You can even plant milkweed in a pot or planter box. Together, we can save the monarch migration!


For the Wild, 
Taylor Jones
Endangered Species Advocate
WildEarth Guardians
tjones@wildearthguardians.org










Monarch Butterflies on Twitter
Save The Monarchs!@ForTheMonarchs

The Xerces Society @xerces_society

#GotMilkweed
#MonarchButterflies
#MonarchMigration
#SaveTheMonarchs



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