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Pinewoods milkweed

Pinewoods milkweed (Asclepias humistrata) blooms in spring and summer, attracting many pollinators including wasps and butterflies. It is a larval host for Monarch and Queen butterflies.

Green antelopehorn (Asclepias viridis) is an herbaceous perennial wildflower found in pinelands, pine rocklands and disturbed areas in a few Florida counties. It flowers winter through summer, with peak blooms in spring. Like many members of the milkweed family, Green antelopehorn is a larval host plant for Monarch, Queen and Soldier butterflies. Their caterpillars have adapted to feed on the plant, which contains a milky latex that is toxic to most animals. The flowers are also an important nectar source for bees and wasps.

Florida milkweed

Florida milkweed (Asclepias feayi) is a dainty endemic at home in the sandhills and scrubby flatwoods of Central and South Florida. It emerges from winter dormancy in spring and typically blooms mid-summer.

Longleaf milkweed

Longleaf milkweed (Aslcepias longifolia) typically blooms in spring. It is a larval host for Monarch and Queen butterflies, and an important nectar source for bees and wasps.

Flower color polymorphism — surprise colors from your favorite plants

Do you ever have white flower forms of your typically blue Spiderwort ( Tradescantia ohiensis) or Stokes’ aster ( Stokesia laevis)? Wonder what’s going on?

Summer is Milkweed Season

Of the 22 milkweed species that occur in Florida, all but one are native. Our native milkweeds bloom mainly in spring or summer; however, in summer, only four of them are common. Do you know which milkweeds to look for?

Are non-native milkweeds killing monarch butterflies?

Tropical milkweed can enable monarchs to continue breeding well into fall and winter, causing populations to persist longer in certain areas than they naturally would. Unfortunately, this can foster higher than normal infection rates by a lethal protozoan parasite.