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Purple Milkweed

Asclepias purpurascens L.

Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family) (formerly Asclepiadaceae, the Milkweed Family)

▲▼ mature, flowering plants

▲▼ inflorescence and flowers; actual color is darker, more reddish-purple than photos indicate

Asclepias purpurascens L., Purple Milkweed: (Bayer Code:  ASCPU; US Code ASPU2)

·         Similar to common milkweed, growing 2-4 feet tall

·         Leaves a bit thinner-textured, with narrower width and more pointed leaf tip than common milkweed

·         Flowers a deep, clear pinkish-purple often with nice fragrance, compared to the dusty-pink of common milkweed

·         Flowers in a globose cluster at or near stem tips

·         Less common than common milkweed, and often found at edges of woods; needs moisture, but also needs good drainage

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