# green antelopehorns (*Asclepias viridis*) Green antelopehorns are beautiful plants with long, green leaves and unique flowers. They are often found in sunny places and attract butterflies and bees. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![green antelopehorns](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Asclepias_viridis.jpg&width=800) Photo: Marion Doss, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_viridis.jpg) ## Appearance The green antelopehorns is a sturdy plant with upright stems and broad leaves. It has unique flower clusters with small, greenish-white to yellowish-purple flowers. Its most distinctive feature is the seed pods, which are often smooth and curve like miniature antelope horns. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Gentianales - **Family:** Apocynaceae - **Genus:** Asclepias ## Interesting facts - Its curved seed pods look like tiny antelope horns, inspiring its cool name! - Its unique greenish flowers attract many buzzing bees and beautiful butterflies! - Like all milkweeds, this plant has a fascinating milky sap when its stems break! - Some clever insects store its toxins in their bodies for their own defense! ## Special abilities - **Wind Wings:** Green antelopehorns can send its seeds flying far on the wind, each attached to a silky 'parachute' that helps it spread to new places. - **Monarch Magnet:** Green antelopehorns has special leaves that Monarch butterfly caterpillars safely eat, helping them grow and transform into butterflies. - **Nectar Beacon:** Green antelopehorns can produce sweet nectar in its unique flowers, attracting important insects like bees and butterflies for pollination. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-90 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — larvae feed on its leaves - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — adults drink flower nectar - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** Common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — visits flowers for nectar ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [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. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not touch the sap, as it can be sticky. Always wash your hands after exploring plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify green antelopehorns? 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 green antelopehorns? 30-90 cm ### How wide does green antelopehorns spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on green antelopehorns? 0.5-1.5 cm ### When does green antelopehorns bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is green antelopehorns edible? No ### Is green antelopehorns toxic? Moderate ### What is green antelopehorns's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Darlington Agency](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/darlington-agency) — Oklahoma, US · Historic District - [Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lyndon-b-johnson-national-grassland) — Texas, US · National Park - [Paseo Arts District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/paseo-arts-district) — Oklahoma, US · Historic District - [Berry College](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/berry-college) — Georgia, US · Campus - [Harrell Prairie Botanical Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harrell-prairie-botanical-area) — Mississippi, US · Botanical Garden - [Ste. Genevieve Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ste-genevieve-historic-district) — Missouri, US · Historic District [View all places to see green antelopehorns](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/green-antelopehorns) ## 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*) --- Source: [Green Antelopehorns: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/green-antelopehorns)