Mexican Whorled Milkweed
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.
(Posted January 19, 2019)