Whorled Milkweed

asclepias verticillata

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) is an elegant, slender perennial wildflower native to eastern and central North America. Unlike its broader-leafed milkweed relatives, this species features thin, needle-like leaves arranged in delicate whorls around a single, erect stem. It stands out in late summer with its clusters of small, fragrant white-to-greenish-white flowers. This plant plays a vital ecological role, acting as a crucial host plant for monarch caterpillars and a magnet for various native pollinators, while also producing a toxic sap that deters generalist herbivores.

Lebensraum: Found in dry, open woodlands, prairies, pastures, and along roadsides, often thriving in poor, sandy, or rocky soils.

Aussehen

This herbaceous perennial typically grows to a height of 30 to 90 cm, with narrow, linear leaves measuring 5 to 8 cm long that grow in whorls of 3 to 6 around the stem. In mid-to-late summer, small flat-topped clusters of star-shaped, greenish-white to cream-colored flowers bloom from the upper leaf axils. Each individual flower is roughly 6 mm wide, exhibiting five reflexed petals and a central crown. Following pollination, it produces slender, upright seed pods that dry and split to release fluffy, wind-dispersed seeds.

ReichPlantaeStammTracheophytaKlasseMagnoliopsidaOrdnungGentianalesFamilieApocynaceaeGattungAsclepias

Whorled Milkweed

Kategorie

Pflanzen

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

It is one of the latest-blooming milkweeds, making it an essential late-season nectar source for migrating Monarch butterflies and native bees.

The seeds have silky hairs called floss, which during World War II were collected by school children to stuff military life jackets when traditional materials were scarce.

Whorled Milkweed is one of the most toxic milkweed species to livestock, particularly sheep and horses, earning it a reputation as a rangeland weed.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Produces toxic cardenolides in its milky sap, which deter herbivores and are sequestered by monarch larvae for their own defense.

Utilizes a deep, fibrous root system to access deep water reserves, helping it survive intense droughts and wildfires.

Equips its seeds with fine, silky hairs that catch wind currents, allowing them to disperse over long distances to colonize new open sites.

Maße und Details

Länge: 30-90 cm
Lebenserwartung: 3-10 Jahre

Ernährung und Fütterung

As a photosynthetic plant, Whorled Milkweed synthesizes its own organic compounds using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and mineral nutrients from the soil.

Hauptnahrung

Sunlight
Water
Carbon Dioxide
Soil Minerals

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Monarch Butterfly

Danaus plexippus

Larvae feed exclusively on the foliage of milkweeds, gaining chemical protection from predators.

mutualism

Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Adult bees visit the flowers for nectar, successfully pollinating the plant in the process.

Merkmale

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Auch bekannt als

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Sicherheit

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Noch keine besonderen Sicherheitshinweise.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Wie identifiziert man Whorled Milkweed?

Der einfachste Weg, Whorled Milkweed zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.

Was ist der/die/das länge von Whorled Milkweed?

30-90 cm

Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Whorled Milkweed?

3-10 Jahre

Was frisst Whorled Milkweed?

As a photosynthetic plant, Whorled Milkweed synthesizes its own organic compounds using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and mineral nutrients from the soil.

Wo findet man Whorled Milkweed normalerweise?

Found in dry, open woodlands, prairies, pastures, and along roadsides, often thriving in poor, sandy, or rocky soils.