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Curley Milkweed |
Asclepias amplexicaulis (Smith)
Curley Milkweed
Plant description: 1-3 upright stems that are 40-100 cm tall.
Leaves are opposite on the stem, 8-15 cm long and 4-8 cm wide. Plant
has 4 to 6 pairs of leaves. Cluster of flowers on the top with
rose-purple flowers. The umbel of flowers is 7 to 9 cm wide. Seed
pods are upright.
Bloom period: May - July
Seeds: June – August
Habitat: Open woods, roadsides, fields and clearings
Range: Throughout Georgia, common
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photo by J & J
Balaban
USF Herbarium Slide Collection
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Asclepias cinerea
(Walter)
Plant description: Single stalk that is 30-70 cm tall. The
leaves are opposite on the stem, 5 to 9 cm long and just a few
millimeters wide. 1 to 4 flower clusters in the top part of
the stem. The flower color is lavender. The umbels are small, only
2- 3.5 cm wide. Seed pods are 10-12 cm long and only 5 to 10mm wide.
Bloom period: June and July
Seeds: August and September
Habitat: Savannahs, moist grasslands
Range: Coastal plain of Georgia, common
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photo by Shirley Denton
Fragrant Milkweed |
Asclepias connivens
(Baldwin) Fragrant Milkweed
Plant Description: Upright stalks that are up to 95 cm tall. The
leaves are opposite and sessile. The leaves are 10-12 cm long and
3-5 cm wide. Flower clusters on the top and the top five leaf axils.
The flower color is greenish-yellow. The umbels of flowers are 10 to
15 cm wide, each individual flower can measure up to 3 cm. Seed pods
are 10-15 cm long and 3-4 cm wide.
Bloom period: June – August
Seeds: August – October
Habitat: Low pinelands, savannahs and margins of Cypress Swamps
Range: Throughout coastal plain of Georgia, rare
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Mexican
Milkweed, Blood Flower |
Asclepias
curassavica
Mexican Milkweed, Blood Flower
Plant Description:
Annual, up to 100 cm tall, multiple stems. Leaves opposite, 8-10 cm
long, 2-4 cm wide. Flowers are produced on the upper portion of
stem, blooms continuously all summer. Umbels are small, 3-5cm wide,
flowers are orange and red. Seed pods are 5-8 cm long and 1.5 cm
wide.
Bloom Period:
May
through frost
Seeds:
June
through frost
Habitat:
not native to Georgia, Central and South American
Species
Range: This species may become a problem in
South Georgia and the Coastal Plain all the way to Texas. In Atlanta
it is not winter hardy, in a mild winter some seeds survive. Caution
should be used in warmer climates.
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Poke Milkweed |
Asclepias exaltata
(Linnaeus) Poke Milkweed
Plant Description: The single stalk is 50 to 100 cm tall. Leaves are
opposite, 14 to 21 cm long and 3-11 cm wide. Flower umbels 2-4, in
the upper leaf axils. Flower color is greenish-white and can be
tinged with pink. The umbels are 5 to 10 cm across. Seed pod is
12-14 cm long and 1.5 to 2 cm wide.
Bloom Period: June and July
Seeds: August and September
Habitat: Hardwood forests and forest margins
Range: Northeast Georgia, higher altitude species, common
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Barrens Milkweed |
Asclepias hirtella (Woods)
Barrens Milkweed
Plant description: Several stalks that are 60-70 cm tall. Leaves are
opposite and very narrow and long. Leaf length is 8-15 cm and width
is 10-15 mm. Flower cluster in the top of the plant only. Each
cluster contains up to 50 individual flowers. Seed pods are long and
skinny. Sap of this milkweed is not milky.
Bloom Period: May through July
Seeds: July through September
Habitat: Thin Woods and open places
Range: In Georgia only known from Catoosa and Floyd County, rare
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 Sand Hills Milkweed |
Asclepias humistrata
(Walter) Sand Hills Milkweed
Plant Description: Many stalks that are spreading away from
crown as the grow up,
20-70 cm long. Leaves are opposite; usually the plant has 5-8 pairs.
Leaves are 6-10 cm long and 4-8 cm wide. The veins of the leaves are
pink to lavender. Several flower clusters on top of the stem,
flower color is rose to lavender. Flower clusters 3-6 cm wide. Seed
pods are 10-14 cm long and 1.5-2 cm wide.
Bloom Period: May and June
Seeds: June and July
Habitat: Sand hills and sandy pine-oak woods
Range: Throughout coastal plain of Georgia, common
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Swamp Milkweed |
Asclepias incarnata
(Linnaeus) Swamp Milkweed
Plant Description: Many branching stems that are 50-150 cm
tall. Leaves opposite, 6-15 cm long and 2-7 cm wide. Flower color is
pink, 4-20 umbels, each umbel being 3-5 cm broad. Seed pods are 6-10
cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide.
Bloom Period: July – September
Seeds: August – October
Habitat: Marshes, stream banks and moist meadows
Range: Primarily a mountain species, occasionally found in the
Piedmont and coastal plain of Georgia, common
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Red Milkweed |
Asclepias lanceolata
(Walter) Red Milkweed
Plant Description: Single stem up to 120 cm tall. Leaves opposite,
3-6 pairs. The leaves are 7-20 cm long and only 0.5-1.5 cm wide. 2-4
flower clusters towards the top of the plant, 5-10 wide. Flower
color is reddish-orange. Seed pod is 8-10 cm long and 1 cm wide.
Bloom Period: June - August
Seeds: August and September
Habitat: Savannahs, swamps and marshes
Range: Coastal plain, common
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Longleaf Milkweed |
Asclepias longifolia (Michaux)
Longleaf Milkweed
Plant Description: Single stem that is 20-70 cm tall. Many opposite,
linear leaves that are 8-14 cm long and only 2-7 mm wide. Flower
color is greenish white. The flower clusters are on the top of the
plant and are 3-5 cm wide. Seed pod is 9-13 cm long and only 5-10 mm
wide.
Bloom Period: May and June
Seeds: June
Habitat: Savannahs, low pinelands and bogs
Range: Coastal plain, uncommon
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Michaux's Milkweed |
Asclepias michauxii (Decaisne)
Michaux’s Milkweed
Plant Description: Single stalk that is 10-40 cm tall. Many leaves
that are primarily opposite and linear. The leaves are 5-12 cm long
and 3-6 mm wide. Flower color is greenish white. The single umbel is
3-4 cm across. Seed pods are 10-15 cm long and 5-8 mm broad.
Bloom Period: May
Seeds: June
Habitat: Savannahs and pinelands
Range: Coastal plain, common
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Green Milkweed
© Harlen E. &
Altus Aschen
http://asclepias.homestead.com |
Asclepias obovata
(Elliott) Green Milkweed
Plant Description: Single stalk that is 40-70 cm tall. Leaves are
opposite, 5-9 cm long and 2-3.5 cm wide. Flower color is
yellow-green. 1-8 umbels arise from the leaf axils in the upper part
of the plant. Umbels are 3-3.5 cm across. Seed pods are 6-8 cm long
and 1-2 cm wide.
Bloom Period: June – September
Seeds: July – October
Habitat: Sandy pinelands
Range: Coastal plain, unusual
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photo by Betty
Wargo
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Asclepias pedicellata
(Walter)
Plant Description: Single, un-branched stalk 10-30 cm tall. Linear
leaves are opposite, 2.5 - 4.5 cm long and 2-7 mm wide.
Flowers are greenish, sometimes cream colored. 1-3 umbels grow
from the upper leaf axils; each umbel will only have 3-6 flowers.
Seedpod is 12 cm long and only 5 mm wide.
Bloom Period: July and August
Seeds: September and October
Habitat: Savannahs
Range: Coastal Plain, rare
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Aquatic Milkweed
© Harlen E. &
Altus Aschen
http://asclepias.homestead.com
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Asclepias perennis
(Walter) Aquatic Milkweed
Plant Description: Many un-branching stems that are 30-50 cm tall.
Opposite leaves that are 6-12 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. Flowers are
white. 2-4 umbels grow from the upper leaf axils and are 2-3 cm
broad. The seed pods hang down and are 4-6 cm long and 1.5 to 2.5 cm
wide.
Bloom Period: June-August
Seeds: August and September
Habitat: Swamp forests
Range: Coastal Plain, unusual
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Purple milkweed |
Asclepias purpurascens
(Linnaeus) Purple Milkweed
Plant Description: Multiple stems from 50-110 cm tall. The
leaves are opposite on the stem, 10-15 cm long and 6cm wide. The 1-3
umbels are on the upper portion of the stem. The umbels are large,
up to 7cm wide, purple. Seed pods are downy, 10cm long and 2 cm
wide.
Bloom Period: June and July
Seeds:
August
and September
Habitat:
Swamp
forests and alluvial woods
Range:
Northwest Georgia, rare |
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Four-leafed Milkweed
©Daniel Reed www.2bnthewild.com
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Asclepias quadrifolia (Jacquin)
Four-leaf Milkweed
Plant Description: Solitary stems are 30-50 cm tall. The leaves
appear whorled on the stem, 4-12 cm long and 2-5 cm wide. Flowers
are white or pinkish. 2-4 umbels from the upper nodes of the plant,
each umbel 3-5 cm broad. Upright seedpods are 8-11 cm long and 4-8
mm wide.
Bloom Period: May and June
Seeds: August and September
Habitat: Mixed deciduous forests
Range: Mountains of extreme north Georgia, common
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Red Milkweed |
Asclepias rubra
(Linnaeus) Red Milkweed
Plant Description: Stems are un-branched and 50-90 cm tall. Leaves
are opposite on the stem, 9-12 cm long and 1.5-3 cm wide. Flowers
are dull red to lavender. 1-4 umbels on top of the plant which are
3-5 cm across. Upright seedpods are 9-12 cm long and 1-1.5 cm
wide.
Bloom Period: June and July
Seeds: July through September
Habitat: Bogs, pocosins and savannahs
Range: Coastal Plain, only known from Douglas County in Georgia,
possibly extirpated.
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| photo by Kevin Adams
Common Milkweed |
Asclepias syriaca
(Linnaeus) Common Milkweed
Plant Description: Single, un-branched stalk that is 50-200 cm tall.
Leaves opposite on stalk, 10-25 cm long and 3-10 cm wide. Flowers
white to pink. 2 to 6 umbels from the upper nodes. Each umbel is
5-10 cm broad. Seed pods are 8-12 cm long and 2.5-3.5 cm broad.
Bloom Period: June through August
Seeds: July through September
Habitat: Meadows, fields and roadsides
Range: Extreme NW Georgia, rare
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Butterfly Weed |
Asclepias tuberosa
(Linnaeus) Butterfly Weed
Plant Description: Multiple stout branching stalks that are 20-80cm
tall. Hairy leaves are alternating on the stem. Leaves are 4-10 cm
long and 1-2.5 cm wide. Flowers from red to yellow, mostly orange.
3-15 umbels on the sideways branching stems. The umbels are 2-5 cm
broad. Seed pods are 8-15 cm long and 1-2 cm wide.
Bloom Period: May through August
Seeds: August through October
Habitat: Dry fields, roadsides and margins of woods
Range: Throughout Georgia, common
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White Milkweed |
Asclepias variegata
(Linnaeus) White Milkweed
Plant Description: Single, un-branching stalks are 20-100 cm tall.
Leaves are opposite on the stems and are 5-14 cm long and 3-7 cm
wide. Flowers are white. Umbels 1-4 from the upper nodes of leaves.
Each umbel is 3-6 cm broad. Seed pods are 10-14 cm long and 1.5 to 2
cm wide.
Bloom Period: May and June
Seeds: July through September
Habitat: Open woods and woodland margins
Range: Throughout Georgia, more common in the north, common
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Whorled-leaf Milkweed
©
Daniel Reed
www.2bnthewild.com
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Asclepias verticillata
(Linnaeus) Whorled-leaf Milkweed
Plant Description: Stems are 30-80 cm tall, arising from runners.
Sometimes branched for the upper third of the plant. Leaves are
whorled on the stem, 3-7 cm long and only 1-2 mm wide. Flowers are
greenish-white. 2-8 umbels in the upper part of the plant, each
umbel is 2-5 cm wide. Seed pods are 4-8cm long and 4-6 mm wide.
Bloom Period: June through September
Seeds: September and October
Habitat: Dry open woods, Sandhills, rocky slopes and roadsides
Range: Mountains and Piedmont of Georgia, common
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Green Comet Milkweed |
Asclepias viridiflora
(Rafinesque) Green Comet Milkweed
Plant Description: Single stems are 20-80 cm tall. Leaves are
opposite and extremely variable. They are 3-10 cm long and 1.5-4.5
cm wide. Flowers are green. Umbels 1-6 from the upper nodes. Each
umbel is 2.5-3.5 cm across. Seed pods 9-13 cm long and 1-2 cm wide.
Bloom Period: June through August
Seeds: August and September
Habitat: Fields, roadsides and waste ground
Range: Piedmont, unusual
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Green Antelope-horn |
Asclepias viridis
(Walter) Green Antelope-horn
Plant Description: Stems un-branched, up to 95 cm tall. Leaves are
opposite, 8-12 cm long and 4-6 cm wide. Flowers are green. Umbels
1-5 from the upper nodes. Umbels 4-6 cm broad. Seed pods are 10-12
cm long and 1-3 cm wide.
Bloom Period: June through August
Seeds August through October
Habitat: Dry pinelands, cedar glades and prairies
Range: Coastal plain and extreme NW Georgia, rare
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