Purple Milkweed
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
(Posted January 19, 2019)