Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed)

Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed) on 5-30-19, #578-2.

Green-Flowered Milkweed, Green Milkweed, Green Antelopehorn, Spider Milkweed

Asclepias viridis

ass-KLE-pee-us VEER-ih-diss

**Synonyms of Asclepias viridis (6) (Updated on 11-17-23 from Plants of the World Online):** Acerates paniculata Decne., Anthanotis procumbens Raf., Anthanotis viridis (Walter) Raf., Asclepias longipetala Scheele, Asclepias procumbens Raf., Gomphocarpus viridis (Walter) Spreng.

Asclepias viridis Walter is the accepted scientific name for this species of Milkweed. It was named and described as such by Thomas Walter in Flora Caroliniana in 1788.

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

As of 11-17-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online by Kew lists 204 species in the Asclepias genus. It is a member of the plant family Apocynaceae with 376 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

Distribution map of Asclepias viridis from Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/. Retrieved on April 11, 2021.

The above distribution map for Asclepias viridis is from Plants of the World Online. The map on the USDA Plants Database is the same.

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.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND A BETTER POSITIVE PLANT ID.

Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed) on 5-30-19, #578-3.

I found several Asclepias viridis and many other wildflowers I was unfamiliar with while working in a friend’s pasture in 2019. There were quite a few colonies of Milkweeds of several species on his farm, but since the cows were grazing they had bit the tops off of most of them. I found one very nice colony of Asclepias viridis they hadn’t touched. I have found several plants here on the farm in 2021 and 2022.

Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed) on 5-30-19, #578-4.

Asclepias viridis is a U.S. native that typically grows to around 24” tall from thickened, tuberous roots. They are found in prairies, pastures, along roadsides, and other areas. They prefer full sun and sandy or rocky limestone soils.

Unlike most other Milkweeds, Asclepias viridis has more of a bushy habit.

Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed) on 5-30-19, #578-5.

This species grows multiple stems from the base and sometimes branch out toward the top. The stems are smooth (glabrous) or may be sparsely hairy (pubescent) toward the tip, and are often a purplish color.

Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed) on 7-17-19, 603-2.

Most of the leaves grow in an alternate pattern along the stems. They are considered simple, around 2-5” long x 1/2-2” wide, either sessile (no petioles) or have short petioles (leaf stems). In shape, they are narrowly to broadly ovate, elliptic-lanceolate or ovate. The tips are kind of blunt with a point while the base is more or less rounded. The leaves are usually smooth except for fine hair possibly along the midvein…

Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed) on 5-28-22, #885-2.

The stems terminate with 3-5” umbels with several axillary umbels from the axils of upper leaves, 1-5 per stem.

Flowers have 5 spreading calyx lobes and pale green 5 ascending to spreading corolla lobes. Corona hoods are purple and deflexed. There are no corona horns as they have been reduced to small appendages near the tips of the inner surface of the hoods on this species.

Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed) on 5-19-19, #592-3.

Flowers that have been successfully pollinated produce 2-5″ long fruit which contains many seeds.

Asclepias viridis (Green Milkweed) on 7-16-19, #602-8.

The seeds are carried off in the wind with fluffy tufts of hair…

I found a good write-up called, “The Story of an Organism: Common Milkweed” by Craig Holdrege from The Nature Institute. You Can read it by clicking HERE… It’s quite a story that leaves nothing out about Milkweeds.

There are a few more photos from 2019, 2021, and 2022 at the bottom of the page. The photos from 2021 and 22 were taken on this farm. The summer of 2023 was very hot and dry and most wildflowers had fizzled out by midsummer. I didn’t notice any Asclepias viridis in 2023… They may have been here, but I didn’t do much wildflower hunting until late September.

I live on a small farm in Windsor, Missouri where I enjoy gardening, collecting plants, and identifying wildflowers. The farm is in Pettis County but 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 somewhat variable from location to location, so sometimes it gets 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 provide 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. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. 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)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
USDA PLANT GUIDE
DAVE’S GARDEN
MISSOURI PLANTS
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
MSU-MIDWEST WEEDS AND WILDFLOWERS
iNATURALIST
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
NORTH AMERICAN BUTTERFLY ASSOCIATION
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
GARDENIA
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
FLORA FINDER
U.S. FOREST SERVICE
KANSAS NATIVE PLANTS
MONARCH WATCH

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 the most reliable and up-to-date plant database 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. 🙂