Whorled Milkweed Other Common Names: Eastern Whorled Milkweed Scientific Name: Asclepias verticillata Native to Alabama: Yes Other common milkweed species: Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Butterfly Milkweed
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Basic Plant Information
Click on image to enlarge it	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 1 - 3 feet high and 1 - 2 feet wide.

 


















 

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Ecological Benefits

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

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

 
  

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Maintenance Notes
Dormant in winter. If pruning stems for cut flowers, sear the end with a lit match to seal the cut and prevent the sap from leaking out. If you wait to prune flowers, you can expect ornamental fruit which are also attractive in dried flower arrangements.
Cut plant back in late winter to early spring. Wait until you see new growth and cut the old stems back to about 6 inches from the ground. Cutting flowers after they are spent will promote further blooms. Seed pod can be removed before maturing and splitting to prevent self-seeding to control spread. If you want to save the seeds to sow in spring, cut them when brown and dry and save them. All parts of the plant exude a milky sap when damaged that can irritate the skin. 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)   Part Sun/ Shade (2-6 hours of sun per day)		Average Watering	Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, Clay, or Moist Soil

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Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification
LEAF DESCRIPTION				Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (JPG)
Shape: Lanceolate	Margin: Entire/Smooth	Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple
Description:
Leaves are 2-3 inches long and narrow, arranged in whorls of 3-6 along stem; attached directly to the stem (sessile); underside is whitish-green with short hairs

      

FLOWER DESCRIPTION						Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shapes Chart (JPG)
Color: Greenish-white			Shape: Tubular		Bloom Months: May - Sep
Description:
Flowers are small (up to ¼ inch long), fragrant, and 5-petaled; found in umbrella-shaped clusters of about 7-20 flowers

  

SEED DESCRIPTION			Click on image to enlarge it
Type: Fruit - Dry Seed Pod	Description: Fruit is smooth, narrow seed pod about 3-4 inches long and 0.5 inches wide; pod splits open when mature releasing flat, oval, brown seeds with long tufts of white hair	Months in Seed: Late Summer - Early 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		North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Alabama Plant Atlas		Alabama Butterfly Atlas
Missouri Botanical Garden		Gardening Know How

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