Asclepiadaceae
Asclepias speciosa

Showy Milkweed

Erect stem. Leaves opposite with short petioles or clasping, narrow to widely oblong, white with soft fine hairs. Large rounded umbel of rose-purple flowers tops stem. Flower with 5 corolla lobes reflexed back, 5 hood-like appendages folded inward, each containing a small, exserted horn with sharp tip. Seedpods point upward. Grows in fields, roadsides, railroad margins, near streams, from sea level to mid elevations.

  • Rarity: Common
  • Flowering Time: All Summer
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • Height: 18--50 inches
  • Habitat: Coastal, Meadow, Shrub-Steppe, Disturbed, Moist Riverbanks
  • Found In: Siskiyous, Steens, East Gorge, Great Basin
  • Native: Yes

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