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Mexican Whorled Milkweed

Asclepias fascicularis DCNE.

Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family)  (formerly in the Asclepiadaceae or Milkweed Family)

▲▼ mature, flowering plant

Asclepias fascicularis Dcne., Mexican Whorled Milkweed, Narrowleaf Milkweed: (Bayer Code:  ASCFA; US Code ASFA)

·         Perennial in milkweed family that grows 2-3 feet tall; not in Midwest, but native to western U.S.

·         Leaves very slender, downward curving, opposite or in whorls of 3-5 leaves per node

·         Flowers pink to white in globe-shaped umbels

·         Fruit is a slender, upright pod, with parachute-tipped seeds

·         Plant is poisonous to livestock

The “weediness” of milkweeds has been revisited due to them being the main food for monarch butterfly larvae; therefore, milkweeds no longer are being generally considered as weeds to eradicate, and actually have legal protection in some areas

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Posted 19 January 2019