Swamp Milkweed

(Asclepias incarnata L.)

Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed Family)

mature flowering plant ▲

flower buds, leaves ▲

flower detail ▲

·         Swamp Milkweed: (page 52-53 in Weeds of the Great Plains, not in Weeds of the Northeast)

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