Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) blooms later than most milkweeds and often into September. This small milkweed spreads by rhizome to form attractive drifts topped with small umbels of white flowers. Attractive to many pollinators including butterflies, Whorled Milkweed is also a host plant for the Monarch butterfly. Thin whorled leaves grant a delicate texture that combines well with other plants of lower stature in an interplanted design or a rock garden. Sandy and gravelly well-drained soils are preferred, and this plant also appreciates a more open space. Slender seed pods are formed later in the season and the leaves turn to yellow and orange. Both of these features provide interest well into autumn. Resistant to both deer and rabbit, this milkweed is poisonous to livestock.
Attracts: 🐛 🐝
Light: full to part sun
Soil: dry to medium