Green Antelopehorn Milkweed
Green Antelopehorn Milkweed
Asclepias viridis Walt.
Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family) (formerly in Asclepiadaceae, the Milkweed Family)
▲ non-flowering stem, with alternate, oval leaves with somewhat wavy edges
▲ ▼ flowering plants, usually with one inflorescence per stem
▲ ▼ flowering plants showing multi-stemmed nature of mature plants
▲ ▼ flower details
Asclepias viridis Walt.; Green Antelopehorn Milkweed:
- simple perennial with tap root that produces multiple unbranched stems that grow 9-30 inches tall with one inflorescence per stem in late spring to early summer
- leaves are oval, alternate with somewhat wavy edges
- flowers are creamy white to greenish-yellow, with purple star-like structures ("hoods") in the center; flowers are in umbel inflorescence arrangement
- Is a member of the Milkweed family and provides food for Monarch butterfly larvae
- not usually a weed problem; has low toxicity for grazing animals
- fruit is a large, oval, light-green, fleshy, dimpled pod that is held upright on the plant; it dries to release the seeds that have parachutes for wind dispersal
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)