Asclepias purpurascens

Purple milkweed

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Asclepias
Species:
A. purpurascens
Binomial name
Asclepias purpurascens

Asclepias purpurascens, the purple milkweed, is a herbaceous plant species. It is in the genus Asclepias, making it a type of milkweed. It is native to the Eastern, Southern and Midwestern United States similar to the range of the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). The plant gets its name from the flowers that first develop a pink color but then turn darker purple as they mature. Unlike common milkweed, purple milkweed prefers some shade and is considered a plant of partial shade. It is also considered an indicator of oak savanna, especially in Wisconsin.[1] The species rarely produces seed pods which are smooth, instead of the rough warty ones produced by common milkweed.[2]

  1. ^ Thomas D. Brock. "Ecology and Conservation of Purple Milkweed" (PDF). Pleasantvalleyconservancy.org. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
  2. ^ "Asclepias purpurascens L. Purple milkweed" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-09-19.