Dig into Plants: Milkweed Comparison Chart

Use the chart below to find out which milkweed species you have in your outdoor classroom or to compare all three species with one another.  The technical terms for the shapes are in purple.Click on these names below to view the species' full profile.

 
Milkweed Comparison Chart
  Butterfly Milkweed
(Asclepias tuberosa)		 Swamp Milkweed
(Asclepias incarnata)		 Common Milkweed
(Asclepias syriaca)
Leaf Shape
Spear or lance-shaped
Lanceolate
(lan-see-o-late)
Spear or lance-shaped
Lanceolate
(lan-see-o-late)
Oval-shaped; widest part
near base of leaf
Ovate (o-vate)
Oval-shaped; twice as long
as wide
Elliptical
(ee-lip-tuh-kl)
Leaf Margin
Smooth edge
Entire (en-tire)
Smooth edge
Entire (en-tire)
Smooth edge
Entire (en-tire)
 Leaf Arrangement
Each leaf is attached to the stem by itself (not paired)
Alternate (awl-ter-nit)
Leaves are attached to the stem in  "pairs"
Opposite (opp-uh-zit)
Leaves are attached to the stem in  "pairs"
Opposite (opp-uh-zit)
Leaf Form
Flower Color Bright orange to
yellow orange		 Light pink, light purple, magenta, or red Pinkish-purple
Flower Shape
Stellate
Stellate
Stellate
Plant Size Between 1-3 feet tall
and 1-2 feet wide		 Between 3-5 feet tall
and 2-3 feet wide		 Between 2-3 feet tall
and 9-12 inches wide
Bloom Months May - September June - October June - August


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