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

(Updated January 19, 2019)