Whorled Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Apocynaceae
- Genus:
- Asclepias
- Species:
- Asclepias verticillata
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 3-4 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun, Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- may, jun, jul, aug, sep
- Bloom Colors:
- White, Green
Native Range
United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, Canada: Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus) Butterflies:Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Bronze Copper (Tharsalea hyllus), (Pieris rapae), (Pieris rapae), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala), Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Great Spangled Fritillary (Argynnis cybele), Great Spangled Fritillary (Argynnis cybele), Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), ⚠️Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta), Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- prefers open, sunny habitats
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Single-step cold-moist stratification for temperate woodland species. for 60–120 days
Source: OpenAI GPT-4o