Whorled Milkweed - Asclepias tuberosa
Asclepias verticillata (Whorled Milkweed) is a slender, upright perennial distinguished by its delicate, needle-like foliage and understated clusters of creamy white blooms that appear in summer. This fine-textured milkweed evokes a quiet elegance, standing in contrast to its showier cousins. Long appreciated by various Indigenous groups, parts of the plant were once used in preparations for both internal and external ailments. Today, A. verticillata serves a vital ecological role as a larval host plant for Monarch butterflies and attracts a variety of pollinators. Its subtle form and light footprint make it an ideal matrix or drift species in prairie-style plantings, blending effortlessly into meadows and adding visual softness without overpowering neighboring flora.
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry, Dry
Bloom Time: June – September
Height: 1–3 ft
Wetland Status: FACU
Host Plant For: Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Queen (Danaus gilippus) butterflies.
Asclepias verticillata (Whorled Milkweed) is a slender, upright perennial distinguished by its delicate, needle-like foliage and understated clusters of creamy white blooms that appear in summer. This fine-textured milkweed evokes a quiet elegance, standing in contrast to its showier cousins. Long appreciated by various Indigenous groups, parts of the plant were once used in preparations for both internal and external ailments. Today, A. verticillata serves a vital ecological role as a larval host plant for Monarch butterflies and attracts a variety of pollinators. Its subtle form and light footprint make it an ideal matrix or drift species in prairie-style plantings, blending effortlessly into meadows and adding visual softness without overpowering neighboring flora.
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry, Dry
Bloom Time: June – September
Height: 1–3 ft
Wetland Status: FACU
Host Plant For: Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Queen (Danaus gilippus) butterflies.
Asclepias verticillata (Whorled Milkweed) is a slender, upright perennial distinguished by its delicate, needle-like foliage and understated clusters of creamy white blooms that appear in summer. This fine-textured milkweed evokes a quiet elegance, standing in contrast to its showier cousins. Long appreciated by various Indigenous groups, parts of the plant were once used in preparations for both internal and external ailments. Today, A. verticillata serves a vital ecological role as a larval host plant for Monarch butterflies and attracts a variety of pollinators. Its subtle form and light footprint make it an ideal matrix or drift species in prairie-style plantings, blending effortlessly into meadows and adding visual softness without overpowering neighboring flora.
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry, Dry
Bloom Time: June – September
Height: 1–3 ft
Wetland Status: FACU
Host Plant For: Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Queen (Danaus gilippus) butterflies.
