# Tall Green Milkweed (*asclepias hirtella*)

Tall Green Milkweed (Asclepias hirtella) is a robust and distinctive perennial wildflower native to the tallgrass prairies, glades, and open barrens of North America. Unlike its more famously pink-flowered cousins, this species boasts unique, pale green to yellowish clusters of flowers that blend beautifully into its grassy habitats. It grows remarkably upright and can survive in poor, sandy, or clay soils. This plant plays an important role in grassland biodiversity, supporting various insects with its rich nectar reserves while adapting to survive wildfires and droughts using its deep root system.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Found in tallgrass prairies, sandy barrens, glades, and open fields, often preferring dry to mesic sandy soils.

![Tall Green Milkweed](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/9002086/medium.jpg)

Photo: aarongunnar, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/9002086)

## Appearance

This species is distinguished by its erect, hairy stems that typically reach 50 to 100 centimeters in height. It features numerous narrow, linear leaves that are arranged alternately along the stem, a characteristic feature that differentiates it from opposite-leaved milkweeds. The pale green or creamy-white flowers have subtle purplish-green hoods and are grouped in globose clusters emerging from the upper leaf joints, which later develop into upright, smooth, spindle-shaped seed pods.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- The seeds of this species are attached to silky, white fluff that acts as a parachute, enabling wind dispersal over wide distances.
- The species name 'hirtella' is Latin for 'somewhat hairy', referring to the fine, stiff hairs found on its leaves and stem.
- Unlike most other milkweed species which feature opposite leaves, the Tall Green Milkweed stands out due to its alternately arranged leaves.

## Special abilities

- **Toxic Chemical Defense:** Produces cardenolides in its milky sap, which makes it toxic to generalist herbivores and protects it from herbivory.
- **Drought-Resistant Taproot:** Utilizes a deep, woody taproot that stores energy and accesses deep water, allowing it to withstand severe droughts and fires.
- **Pollinia Trapping Mechanism:** Packages its pollen into sticky, saddle-like structures called pollinia that attach to the legs of visiting insects for cross-pollination.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 50-100 cm
- **Lifespan:** 3-15 years

## Diet & Feeding

As a photosynthetic plant, Tall Green Milkweed produces its own energy and organic compounds using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and soil minerals.

- **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Carbon Dioxide, Water, Soil Minerals

## Ecological connections

- **Host plant:** [Monarch Butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Provides essential foliage for the caterpillars, which consume the leaves and store the plant's toxins to defend themselves against predators.
- **Mutualism:** Bumble Bee (*Bombus pensylvanicus*) — Visits the green blossoms for nectar, serving as a primary pollinator of the species.
- **Parasite:** [Oleander Aphid](https://www.snappit.app/explore/oleander-aphid) (*Aphis nerii*) — Infests the stems and leaves of the milkweed, feeding on its nutrient-rich sap.

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Tall Green Milkweed?

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 long is Tall Green Milkweed?

50-100 cm

### How long does Tall Green Milkweed live?

3-15 years

### What does Tall Green Milkweed eat?

As a photosynthetic plant, Tall Green Milkweed produces its own energy and organic compounds using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and soil minerals.

### Where is Tall Green Milkweed usually found?

Found in tallgrass prairies, sandy barrens, glades, and open fields, often preferring dry to mesic sandy soils.

## Where to spot

- [Gensburg-Markham Prairie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gensburg-markham-prairie) — Illinois, US · Nature Reserve
- [Shaw Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shaw-nature-reserve) — Missouri, US · Botanical Garden

## 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: [Tall Green Milkweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tall-green-milkweed)