# Field Milkwort (*senega sanguinea*)

Field Milkwort is a beautiful wildflower that can brighten up any field with its lovely purple blooms. Its flowers attract many butterflies and bees, making it a favorite among pollinators!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Field Milkwort is commonly found in meadows, grasslands, and open fields.
- **Also known as:** Milkwort, Sanguine Milkwort, Senega

![Field Milkwort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Field_Milkwort_%28Polygala_sanguinea%29_-_Flickr_-_wackybadger_%281%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Joshua Mayer from Madison, WI, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Field_Milkwort_%28Polygala_sanguinea%29_-_Flickr_-_wackybadger_%281%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Field Milkwort is an erect plant, often with a single stem, topped by a dense, rounded to cylindrical flower spike. Its tiny individual flowers cluster tightly, creating an eye-catching display of pink to reddish-purple, sometimes white.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Polygalaceae
- **Genus:** Polygala

## Interesting facts

- It loves sunshine and is often found happily growing in open, sunny fields!
- Its vibrant flower heads are actually many tiny flowers packed together like a pom-pom!
- Some people call it 'Purple Milkwort' due to its amazing bright colors.
- The name 'milkwort' comes from an old belief it increased milk in cows!

## Special abilities

- **Seed-Spreading Superstar:** Field Milkwort produces many seeds that can spread easily, helping it colonize new open areas quickly.
- **Color-Changing Blooms:** Its flower spikes often mature from green to vibrant pink or purple, providing a visual feast for pollinators.
- **Tough Root Anchor:** Field Milkwort has a sturdy taproot that helps it stay put and find water in dry, disturbed soils.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-45 cm
- **Spread:** 5-15 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.4 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer-fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from blooms
- **Pollinates:** Small White (*Pieris rapae*) — butterfly sips nectar from its flowers

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [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:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Field Milkwort?

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 Field Milkwort?

15-45 cm

### How wide does Field Milkwort spread?

5-15 cm

### How big are the flowers on Field Milkwort?

0.2-0.4 cm

### When does Field Milkwort bloom?

Summer-fall

### Is Field Milkwort edible?

No

### Is Field Milkwort toxic?

None

### What is Field Milkwort's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Muddy Hole Farm Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/muddy-hole-farm-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## 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: [Field Milkwort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-milkwort)