Go to Midwest Weeds and Wildflowers Home Page
Broadleaf Milkweed
Asclepias latifolia (Torr.) Raf.
Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family (formerly in Asclepiadaceae, the Milkweed Family)
new shoots emerging from creeping roots in spring ▲▼
mature, flowering plants ▲▼
▲▼ flowers
¸
Asclepias latifolia
(Torr.) Raf., Broadleaf Milkweed:
(Bayer Code:
ASCLT; US Code ASLA4)
·
Native creeping perennial common in open prairies of western Midwest
·
Grows 1.5-4 feet tall, with opposite, blunt-tipped oval leaves (leaves almost
rectangular in shape due to blunting of both ends)
·
Similar to
common milkweed,
but leaves are larger, more squarish and darker green
·
New shoots are blue-green when emerging in spring
·
Has large, tuberous root system allowing it spread laterally 3-5 feet per year
·
Flowers are small, cream to yellowish in globe-shaped, axillary clusters
·
Unpalatable and somewhat toxic to livestock
·
Prefers dry, sandy, alkaline soils
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
Go to Midwest Weeds and Wildflowers Home Page
Updated 19 January 2019