| Botanical Name |
Asclepias latifolia |
| Common Name |
Broadleaf milkweed |
| Family |
Asclepiadaceae –Milkweed |
| Description |
This native perennial has a strong, straight stem. It has numerous, opposite, broad, thick leaves up to 5” long and 4”-6” wide. Its leaves and stem have a milky latex. Exposure to air quickly converts the latex into glue. |
| Mature Size |
Up to 18” or taller |
| Bloom |
In July and August it produces pale green or yellowish flowers in flat or rounded, umbel-like clusters. The large leaves almost hide the flowers which are on short stems. |
| Interesting Facts |
Most animals don’t eat milkweeds because some of them contain cardiac glycoside. But Monarch butterfly caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed without ill effect. The poison is stored in the bodies of the caterpillars and passed on to the adult butterflies. After tasting either one, a predator might associate the bright colors of the caterpillar or adult with an unpleasant meal and avoid these creatures in the future. |
| Traditional and Medicinal Uses |
An old folk remedy for warts was to rub the milky juice of this plant on them. The downy seeds have been used to stuff pillows and mattresses. Fibers were used in prehistoric fabric and twine. During WW II the U.S. government used milkweed fibers, which are very buoyant, in life jackets. |
