verticillata

Asclepias verticillata, white, 24", June-August. Whorls of linear leaves along a slender stem. Each leaf is up to 3" long. At the top are short-stalked umbels of greenish-white flowers that emerge from the axils of the leaves. This species often forms colonies. This also is the favorite of the Monarch butterfly. Its common habitat includes dry areas of black soil prairies, sand prairies, gravel prairies, hill prairies, openings of rocky upland forests, sandy savannas, rocky bluffs along major rivers, pastures, and abandoned fields, grassy slopes along highways. Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates part-shade. Best in sunny locations with sandy loams. Drought tolerant. Like hot dry soils, but tolerates moist garden soils. Plants spread by rhizomes but maintain a very tight patch. NATIVE in large part of central and eastern North America extending from Massachusetts to Ontario, south to Arizona and Florida. It is especially found in Missouri. Sun. zone4-8 "Whorled Milkweed", "Horsetail Milkweed"