Asclepias purpurascens

Purple milkweed
250 px
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Subfamily:	Asclepiadoideae
Genus:	Asclepias
Species:	A. purpurascens
Binomial name
Asclepias purpurascens L.

Purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) is a herbaceous plant species. It is in the genus Asclepias, making it a type of milkweed. It is native to the Eastern, Southern and Midwestern United States similar to the range of the Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). The plant gets its name from the flowers that first develop a pink color but then turn darker purple as they mature. Unlike Common Milkweed, Purple Milkweed prefers some shade and is considered a plant of partial shade. It is also considered an indicator of Oak savanna, especially in Wisconsin. The species rarely produces seed pods which are smooth instead of the rough warty ones produced by Common Milkweed. Purple Milkweed is declining in some areas and listed as endangered in Wisconsin and Threatened in Massachusetts

Uses

Like other members of the milkweeds, several insects live off the plant, including the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus), the Milkweed beetle (Tetraopes tetraophtalmus), Large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus), Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii) and Milkweed Leaf Beetle (Labidomera clivicollis). Other insects and pollinators feed off the flower's nectar.

This species is sometimes cultivated in gardens designed to attract butterflies, but is less common than the light purple Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) or the orange Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). The nectar of the plant attracts many other species of butterflies and insects as well.

Gallery

• Purple Milkweed Asclepias purpurascens Top 2500px.JPG

  Young developing plants show foliage reminiscent of Asclepias syriaca.

• Purple Milkweed Asclepias purpurascens Young Buds.jpg

  Undeveloped flower buds are light green.

• Purple Milkweed Asclepias purpurascens Pink Buds.jpg

  Flower buds turn pink before opening

• Purple Milkweed Asclepias purpurascens Buds.jpg

  Closeup of an unopened flower

• 

  A newly bloomed flower head

• Purple Milkweed Asclepias purpurascens Flower Top.jpg

  Flower closeup from the top

• Purple Milkweed Asclepias purpurascens Ant.jpg

  A red ant feeding on the flower's nectar

• Purple Milkweed Asclepias purpurascens Mature.jpg

  Mature flowers are darker purple.

• Purple Milkweed Pod.jpg

  Purple Milkeed Pod

• Purple Milkweed plant.JPG

  Same Purple Milkweed plant that produced pod in flower

• Purple Milkweed Roots.JPG

  Root system of pot grown Purple Milkweed

External links

• USDA Plants Profile: Asclepias purpurascens

References

• http://pleasantvalleyconservancy.org/pdf/Purple%20milkweed%20paper.pdf
• http://www.newfs.org/docs/pdf/Asclepiaspurpurascens.pdf
• http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm91_054165.pdf