Part of milkweed  genus Asclepias (🏛 state wildflower of Illinois) in dogbane  family Apocynaceae.

Native to 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 Canada and USA, east of the 🗻︎ Rocky Mountains.   🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48) (color key).

Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)

Asclepias hosts caterpillars of 13 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas,
including being the only host plant for ⚫︎ eggs and 🐛︎ larvae of the monarch butterfly  Danaus plexippus.
Poster of monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus lifecycle, larval
host plants, adult nectar plants, and growing info for these plants.  Adobe Acrobat Reader file

To:

  • see where monarch butterflies are now on their migration, or
  • report your own sightings (in 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 Canada, USA, and México),
please see monarch butterfly  Danaus plexippus  > box on "citizen science."

Bloom dates (Michigan).  Adobe Acrobat Reader file (page 3)

Learn more about whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata

🔍︎ 🔍︎ images Discover Life Encyclopedia of Life Michigan Flora (Minnesota) Wildflower Garden Minnesota Wildflowers Missouri Botanical Garden Missouri Plants USDA PLANTS db Wikipedia