Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) in the Milkweeds Database

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic Dry Mesic Dry
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Plant Height:	6 - 24 inches
Plant Spread:	6 inches
Leaves:	Other: long thin leaves in whorls around stem
Fruit:	Showy
Fruiting Time:	Fall
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	White
Bloom Size:	Under 1"
Flower Time:	Late spring or early summer Summer Fall
Underground structures:	Rhizome
Suitable Locations:	Xeriscapic
Uses:	Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees Butterflies
Resistances:	Deer Resistant Rabbit Resistant Drought tolerant
Toxicity:	Leaves are poisonous Roots are poisonous
Propagation: Seeds:	Provide light Stratify seeds: 3 months at 40 degrees Suitable for wintersowing
Propagation: Other methods:	Division
Pollinators:	Wasps Moths and Butterflies Flies Bees
Containers:	Not suitable for containers
Miscellaneous:	Tolerates poor soil

Common names

Whorled Milkweed
Horsetail Milkweed
Milkweed
Eastern Whorled Milkweed

Photo Gallery

Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 2019-08-06

Uploaded by crawgarden

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2012-07-07
seeds in open seed pod

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2012-05-03

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 2019-08-16

Uploaded by crawgarden

Location: Roberta Georgia
Date: August
with Red-banded Hairstreak

Uploaded by stone

Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 2018-05-12

Uploaded by crawgarden

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2012-07-07
seeds are ready to float away

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Botanical Garden Copenhagen
Date: 2016-11-19

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Lutz, FL
Date: 2015-01-26
Preparing for cold stratification in the fridge.

Uploaded by mellielong

Uploaded by mellielong

Date: 2004-07-22
Stephen J. Baskauf (http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/)

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2012-05-03
Top heavy with blooms

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2012-05-03
unopened flower buds

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Wisconsin
Date: July
credit: Joshua Mayer

Uploaded by robertduval14

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Pappy Elkins Park.
Date: Summer 2000
This Milkweed is tall and thin with leaves in whorles around the

Uploaded by frostweed

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Photo Courtesy of Lazy S'S Farm Nursery.

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2012-05-03
whorled leaves

Uploaded by wildflowers

Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: 2012-06-14

Uploaded by wildflowers

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by treehugger

Uploaded by mellielong

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Mercer Botanical Garden Houston, Tx
Date: 2014-05-21

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Pappy Elkins Park.
Date: Summer 2010
The leaf arraingement gives name to the plant.

Uploaded by frostweed

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by BlueOddish (South Jordan, Utah, USA - Zone 7a) on Sep 19, 2020 7:14 PM concerning plant:

The Hopi name for this plant is "Piíñí".

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Posted by Chillybean (Iowa - Zone 5a) on Aug 12, 2015 3:40 PM concerning plant:

A conflicted plant, according to the USDA web page. In Massachusetts, it is classified as Threatened; Rhode Island has it listed as Special Concern, yet in Nebraska and in the South it is considered weedy.

I discovered the plant for the first time along our gravel road this summer. Even before knowing its name, I recognized that special Milkweed flower with a skirt. Because it is growing right where the grater grates, I pulled one up and quickly got it into the ground with similar conditions. Since that time, many more white flowers, which to the untrained eye would be easy to overlook, have bloomed next to the road. Small white flowers, nothing really special.

I am watching this plant to see whether any pods will form in the hope that I will later find some in my prairie area.

About this plant's use for Monarchs, I cannot say that they won't use this, but in my limited experience I have yet to see any signs of the butterflies or the larvae feeding off this. The leaves are rather small compared to the Common and Swamp. If there is a large patch of it, there'd be plenty to consume. Some months ago, I read an article saying that scientists are studying which Milkweed plants the Monarchs favour. I hope they come up with good conclusions, so more people will plant what the declining insect needs.

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Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Dec 16, 2011 3:11 AM concerning plant:

Prefers a hot and dry spot, but will tolerate moist garden soils.
Flower clusters to 3" across. Plant is 1 to 2 feet tall with equal spread.
Grey-green foliage turns yellow and orange in fall.
A preferred food source for butterfly larvae, especially the Monarch.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Cyclaminist (Minneapolis, Minnesota - Zone 5a) on May 20, 2016 9:43 AM concerning plant:

A short and slender milkweed. It spreads by slender white rhizomes like garden.org/plants/view/75378/, but I don't mind because it's so delicate and interesting, and my gardens aren't very organized. Unfortunately, because I don't use edging, it does creep into lawn areas.

It doesn't do that well with lots of taller plants (more than 3 feet) around. I suspect that's why it's more common in the Great Plains than in the Northeast.

Reply to this comment
Posted by virginiarose (Virginia - Zone 8a) on Jan 2, 2014 7:43 AM concerning plant:

This plant was linked to the death of 19 horses when it was found inside the hay that was fed to the horses.

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Plant Events from our members
aspenhill	On May 4, 2012	Obtained plant DG David (greenthumb99) and Pat (ecnalg) - qty 2
Chillybean	On September 15, 2015	Miscellaneous Event Collected the few seeds. The plants were not well pollinated this year.
MrsBinWY	On June 7, 2020	Transplanted 3 behind iron pot
MrsBinWY	On July 23, 2019	Potted up 7 on 7-23-2019
MrsBinWY	On June 29, 2019	Seeds germinated 7 way up on 6-29-2019
MrsBinWY	On June 29, 2019	Seeds germinated observed 9 were way up
MrsBinWY	On December 23, 2018	Seeds sown WS 16 seeds from ishareflower's commercial seed swap
MrsBinWY	On January 20, 2018	Seeds sown WS 12 seeds (all) from Arcadiaseeker (no luck with these)
Anndixon	On June 11, 2018	Obtained plant
DeweyRooter	On April 22, 2023	Transplanted planted behind shed
DeweyRooter	On April 12, 2023	Obtained plant Received plant from Great Garden Plants
pinetastic	On June 28, 2023	Bloomed

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Milkweeds Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

Milkweeds

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)