SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 4207.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "4207" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.

Safe for Children?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Dogs?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Cats?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Reptiles?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

broadleaf milkweed

Scientific Name: Asclepias latifolia

Family: Asclepiadaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Forb/herb

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Asclepias latifolia: Broadleaf Milkweed

Asclepias latifolia, commonly known as Broadleaf Milkweed, is a perennial herb belonging to the Milkweed family. This plant is known for its robust nature and role as a host plant for monarch butterflies.

Considerations for Pets

  • The plant is a perennial herb usually with milky sap.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Asclepias latifolia (Torr.) Raf.
  • Common Names: Broadleaf Milkweed, Milkweed, Corn-kernel Milkweed
  • Family: Asclepiadaceae (now often included within Apocynaceae) - Milkweed Family
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Taxonomic Rank: Species
  • Synonyms: None explicitly listed as current synonyms.

Distribution and Habitat

Asclepias latifolia is native to the western and central United States. It is found in states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah. It grows well in sandy soil.

Ecological Role

  • Asclepias latifolia is a crucial host plant for monarch butterflies, as the female monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • It is a perennial herb with new shoots emerging from creeping roots in spring.
  • The stems are erect, usually simple, glabrescent or slightly tomentose, and glaucous with age.
  • The plant has milky sap.
  • Leaves are opposite with a petiole less than 1/5 the leaf length.
  • The plant can grow up to 16 inches tall.
  • Greenish flowers with a central column shorter than the white corn-kernel-like hoods. Horns curve over the white central column.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • This species is a host plant for monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), which lay their eggs on the plant.

Further Information

  • USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
  • Dave's Garden (for gardening tips and ideas)
  • Monarch Watch
  • iNaturalist.org
  • Discover Life