Clasping milkweed is a native, perennial wildflower in Wisconsin. It grows one to three feet tall. The flowers have a soft pink hue, often washed with cream or green. The flower structure is complex: each rounded cluster is two to four inches in diameter, with five reflexed petals and five hood‑like structures above them. The leaves are opposite, waxy, and oval, three to five inches long and about two inches wide, with bases that clasp the stem. This species grows in dry habitats such as sandhills, dry open woods, pine savannas, and fallow fields. It performs best in full sun but tolerates partial shade.
Ecologically, clasping milkweed provides nectar and pollen for a variety of native bees and butterflies adapted to sandy, open habitats. Although many milkweeds serve as larval hosts for monarch butterflies, A. amplexicaulis is not a confirmed monarch host plant. Its drought tolerance and preference for sandy soils make it a suitable choice for native plant gardens and prairie‑style landscapes where well‑drained soils are present.
Sources:
NatureServe Explorer — Asclepias amplexicaulis
Wikipedia — Asclepias amplexicaulis
Native Wildflowers of Wisconsin — Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis)
FSUS / North Carolina Botanical Garden — Asclepias amplexicaulis
Grokipedia — Asclepias amplexicaulis
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