Green Comet Milkweed, Green Milkweed, Green-Flowered Milkweed, Short Green Milkweed, Wand Milkweed

Asclepias viridiflora

ass-KLE-pee-us  vir-id-uh-FLOR-uh

Synonyms of Asclepias viridiflora (12) (Updated on 7-4-26 from Plants of the World Online): Acerates bifida Rusby ex A.Gray (1885), Acerates ivesii Wooton & Standl. (1915), Acerates viridiflora (Raf.) Eaton (1829), Acerates viridiflora var. ivesii Britton (1894) (nom. illeg. superfl.), Acerates viridiflora var. lanceolata (Torr.) A.Gray (1878), Asclepias lanceolata E.Ives (1819) (nom. illeg. homonym. post.), Asclepias nutans Muhl. ex Steud. (1840) (not validly publ.),Asclepias viridiflora var. lanceolata Torr. (1824), Asclepias viridiflora var. pubescentitomentosa Hook. (1835), Gomphocarpus viridiflorus (Raf.) Spreng. (1824), Otanema ovata Raf. (1838), Polyotus heterophyllus Nutt. (1835)

Asclepias viridiflora Raf. is the accepted scientific name for this species. It was named and described as such by Samuel Constantine Rafinesque in Medical Repository in 1808.

The genus, Asclepias L., was named as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 7-3-26 when this page was published, Plants of the World Online lists 210 accepted species in the Asclepias genus. It is a member of the plant family Apocynaceae with 380 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

The above distribution map for Asclepias viridiflora is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where it is active and purple where it has been introduced. The map on the USDA Plants Database for North America is similar.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations. I post all my observations on iNaturalist.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

In the summer of 2025, I was introduced to a private native prairie that blew my mind. I went back with the same friend to the Lordi Marker Prairie on 6-8-26 and took a lot more photos of many new species I hadn’t seen before. Among those new species was the Asclepias viridiflora. The Lordi Marker Prairie is quite spectacular!

I apologize for not writing descriptions when I published this page, but I wanted to get the photos online. I will come back at some point and write descriptions. There are several links at the bottom of the page with information and descriptions.

 

I will go back to the prairies off and on to take more photos.

I live on the family farm in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be variable from location to location, so that can be a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and they have provided much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
iNATURALIST
U.S. FOREST SERVICE
MISSOURI PLANTS
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
ARKANSAS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
AWESOME NATIVE PLANTS
BACKYARD NATURE
GO BOTANY
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
KANSAS NATIVE PLANTS
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
PFAF (PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)
SEINet
USEFUL TEMPERATE PLANTS
WILDFLOWERS OF NEW MEXICO

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂