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Pinewoods Milkweed
Asclepias humistrata
Family: Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae)
Height: 8-28" (20-71 cm)
Flower: loose round cluster, 2 1/2-3 1/2" (6-9 cm) wide, of many pale, ashy pink flowers; each flower, 1/4" (.6 cm) wide, with 5 downward-curving petals and a deeply divided crown, made up of 5 scoop-shaped “hoods” and 5 inward-curving, beak-like “horns”
Leaf: broad oval leaves, 2-4" (5-10 cm) long, pale green to purple with pale pink veins; sprawling or rising pink stem
Fruit: elongated curved green pod, 3-5" (7.5-13 cm) long, tapering toward the tip; turns brown; splits open to release many dark brown seeds, each with cottony plumed tufts that carry it away on the wind
Bloom: spring, summer
Cycle/Origin: perennial, native
Habitat: sandy disturbed sites, dry woods and pinelands
Range: throughout AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, and SC
Notes: Frequently occurs in dry sandy pinelands. Monarch butterflies on their flight northward in spring lay their eggs on the foliage, which becomes an important food for the resulting caterpillars. Its flower clusters are visited by a wide variety of other nectar-seeking butterflies such as swallowtails, hairstreaks and skippers. Humistrata means “ground spreading,” for its low, sprawling growth habit.
Cluster type: Round Flower type: Irregular Leaf type: Simple Leaf attachment: Opposite Leaf attachment: Clasping Fruit: Pod