Common Milkweed Scientific Name: Asclepias syriaca Native to Alabama: Yes Other common milkweed species: Butterfly Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Whorled Milkweed
	flickr - Tom Potterfield Click on image to enlarge it

 
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Basic Plant Information
	I am a vascular plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous. I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous. I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial. I can grow 2 - 3 feet high and 0.75 - 1 feet wide.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Stephanie Brundage Click on image to enlarge it

 






















 

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Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:
Butterflies	Other Pollinators	Caterpillars	Native Bees	Hummingbirds
		Monarch

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)		Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)		Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis)
Pinewoods Milkweed (Asclepias humistrata)		White Milkweed (Asclepias variegata)		Eastern Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
Swamp Forest Milkweed/ Aquatic Milkweed (Asclepias perennis)		Tropical/Scarlet Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)

 
  

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Maintenance Notes
Dormant in winter. Plant can spread aggressively. Flowers can be cut for an indoor vase; Dried seed pods often used in flower arrangements. Plant will likely get aphids which can be left on the plant for ladybugs to eat. If aphids become a problem, refer to our Tips to Control Aphids on Milkweed document.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds.  Water should reach all roots. Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves. Requires average amount of water.
Average watering: water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

 

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Habitat Requirements
This plant prefers:
Full Sun (6+ hours of sun per day)		Average Watering	Well-Drained, Sandy, Loamy, or Clay Soil

 

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Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification
LEAF DESCRIPTION					Minnesota Wildflowers - Katy Chayka Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (JPG)
Shape: Ovate/Elliptical		Margin: Entire/Smooth	Arrangement: Opposite	Form: Simple
Description:
Shape varies from oval to elliptical; slightly pointed at the tip; 4-4.75 inches long and 2-4 inches wide; Darker green on the top; Under side of the leaf is lighter green and slightly hairy; midrib is light pink or white; veins do not reach the edge of the leaf; hairy stem

      

FLOWER DESCRIPTION						Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center James L. Reveal Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shapes Chart (JPG)
Color: Pinkish purple			Shape:          Stellate          (star-shaped)		Bloom Months: June - Aug
Description:
Clusters of more than 30 flowers each form rounded drooping domes up to 2 inches across; individual flowers are 0.5 inches across with 5 downward pointing petals and a 5 part crown

     

SEED DESCRIPTION			Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center  Julie Makin Click on image to enlarge it
Type: Fruit - Dry Seed Pod	Description: Flat brown seeds with silky attachments are contained in bumpy green pods up to 5 inches long	Months in Seed: Summer/Fall
Plant spreads by:
Seeds and Rhizomes/ Tubers/ Roots & Shoots Silky-haired seeds are dispersed by wind; underground rhizomes spread and create new clumps of plants

 

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Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle: All plants start life as a seed. The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots. The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground. After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers. After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed. When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again. Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.

General Plant Life Cycle - Dreamstime Click on image to enlarge it

 

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

 

Quick Fact Sheet (Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign: Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign: Editable Word Doc

QR Code (Links to this Webpage)

  

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INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THIS PLANT

 

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Plant Database		USDA Plants Database
Alabama Plant Atlas		Alabama Butterfly Atlas
Missouri Botanical Garden		Minnesota Wildflowers
North Carolina Entension Gardener Plant Toolbox

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