A familiar weed of lawns, fields, roadsides, and gardens, this plant and its close relatives are the only species eaten by beautiful monarch butterflies.
While its white latex sap and the older foliage are mildly poisonous, young leaves, shoots, flowerbuds, and immature pods are all edible raw or cooked as vegetables.
Where I live in SE Michigan, I almost cannot go for a walk anywhere, during ANY month of the year without seeing this plant – from its distinctive spring sprouts, through its summer growth and flowering, to its fall and winter lingering pods. If you find ANY Asclepias (milkweed) species, take a moment to closely examine its unique individual flowers – no hand lens required. :wink:
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