Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata): white Minnesota wildflowers

Whorled Milkweed

Plant Info
Also known as:
Scientific name:	Asclepias verticillata
Family:	Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun; dry fields, prairies, sandy open woods, roadsides
Bloom season:	summer
Plant height:	1 to 2 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Rice Creek Trail Corridor

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Flower:: Flowers are in rounded clusters 1 to 3 inches across that arise from the leaf axils in the upper part of the plant, and at the top of the plant. Each cluster usually has 10 to 20 flowers. Individual flowers are about ¼ long with 5 light green petals that are bent downward and 5 white “horns” at the crown.
Leaves and stem:: Leaves are up to 3 inches long and very narrow, less than 1/8 inch wide, with a prominent central vein. Whorls of 3 to 6 leaves are densely packed along the stem but spread out as the plant matures. Leaves initially point up but become more horizontal or turned downward with age. The main stem is slender and has fine hairy lines that extend down from the base of the leaves.
Fruit:: Fruit is a spindly pod 3 to 4 inches long containing numerous flat brown seeds, each with a tuft of white hair to carry it off in the wind.