Asclepias syriaca
  |
 |
Photo courtesy Renee Brecht |
Britton & Brown |
| Botanical name: | Asclepias syriaca L. |
| Common name: | common milkweed |
| Synonomy: | Asclepias intermedia Vail Asclepias kansana Vail Asclepias syriaca L. var. kansana (Vail) Palmer & Steyerm. |
| Group: | dicot |
| Family: | Asclepiadaceae |
| Growth type: | forb/herb |
| Duration: | annual |
| Origin: | native |
| Plant height: | 2 - 5' |
| Foliage: | leaves opposite, entire |
| Flower: | 1/2" flowers in 2" clusters, pink to pale purple |
| Flowering time: | June to August, fruit July to September |
| Habitat: | rich dry fields, roadsides |
| Range in New Jersey: | throughout north Jersey and the Inner Coastal Plain south to Cumberland County |
| Heritage ranking, if any: | n/a |
| Distribution: |  |
| Misc. | The milky latex contains glycosides, making the leaves toxic for
animals. Its fiber has been explored by USDA for commercial processing. The plant is used by the larvae of Monarch butterflies. |