Showy Milkweed

“Asclepias speciosa, commonly called showy milkweed, is a rough, weedy perennial which commonly occurs on dry slopes, open woodland areas, roadsides, waste areas and along streams in western North America. It typically grows 2-4′ tall on stout, upright stems with velvety, broad-oblong to broad-ovate, gray-green leaves (to 8″ long) with conspicuous veining. Globular clusters (umbels to 3″ across) of fragrant, pinkish-white to pinkish-purple, star-like flowers appear mostly in the upper leaf axils over a long bloom period from late spring well into summer. Stems and leaves exude a milky sap when cut or bruised. Flowers give way to prominent, rough seed pods (2-3″ long) which split open when ripe releasing their numerous silky-tailed seeds for dispersal by the wind. Seed pods are valued in dried flower arrangements. Flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and leaves are a food source for monarch butterfly larvae (caterpillars).

Genus name honors the Greek god Asklepios the god of medicine.

Specific epithet means showy.” (MBG)