# Baldwin's Milkvine (*matelea baldwyniana*)

Baldwin's Milkvine is a beautiful climbing plant that winds its way up trees and fences. Its lovely flowers attract butterflies and bees, making it a favorite in gardens!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Baldwin's Milkvine typically grows in warm, sunny areas, often found in fields and along forest edges.
- **Also known as:** Baldwin's Vine, Butterfly Vine, Milkvine

![Baldwin's Milkvine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Matelea_baldwyniana.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Matelea_baldwyniana.jpg)

## Appearance

The Baldwin'S Milkvine is a slender, twining vine with fuzzy, heart-shaped leaves. It has unique star-shaped flowers that range from greenish-yellow to purplish-brown, often appearing textured or slightly hairy.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Gentianales
- **Family:** Apocynaceae
- **Genus:** Matelea

## Interesting facts

- Its scientific name, "baldwyniana," honors a famous American botanist, William Baldwin!
- Some insects are immune to its milky sap and eat it anyway, even gaining its defense!
- The flowers smell faintly of overripe fruit, a clever trick to attract special pollinating flies!
- This strong vine can grow many meters long, sometimes reaching the very tops of tall trees for sun!

## Special abilities

- **Climbing Grip:** Baldwin'S Milkvine can twine its flexible stems around other plants, allowing it to climb high to reach vital sunlight.
- **Milky Shield:** This plant has a milky sap that contains chemicals, helping it defend against hungry herbivores trying to eat its leaves.
- **Pollinator Trap:** Its specialized flower structure can briefly hold insect pollinators, ensuring efficient pollen transfer before they escape.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-300 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Moderate
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Collects nectar, aiding in flower reproduction.
- **Eaten by:** Pandora Sphinx Moth (*Eumorpha pandorus*) — Caterpillars feed on its leaves and stems.
- **Pollinates:** Pennsylvania Leatherwing (*Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus*) — Feeds on pollen, transferring it between flowers.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before touching or picking plants!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Baldwin's Milkvine?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Baldwin's Milkvine?

100-300 cm

### How big are the flowers on Baldwin's Milkvine?

1-2 cm

### When does Baldwin's Milkvine bloom?

Summer

### Is Baldwin's Milkvine edible?

No

### Is Baldwin's Milkvine toxic?

Moderate

### What is Baldwin's Milkvine's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Baldwin's Milkvine pollinated?

Insect

## Where to spot

- [Lake Seminole](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-seminole) — Georgia, US · Natural Landmark

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Baldwin's Milkvine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/baldwins-milkvine)