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Swamp Milkweed

Asclepias incarnata L.

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

mature flowering plant ▲

flower buds, leaves ▲

flower detail ▲

Asclepias incarnata L., Swamp Milkweed: (Bayer Code:  ASCIN; US Code ASIN)

o   a creeping perennial with short, rhizomes

o   leaves more elongated than common milkweed, not fuzzy

o   stems more branched into a rounded canopy plant

o   flowers in terminal axillary clusters of pink flowers (sometimes almost white)

o   fruit is more slender, smooth pod

o   potentially poisonous to grazing animals, but seldom eaten

o   prefers wet soils—not common in pastures

 

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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Updated 19 January 2019