Whorled Milkweed
Whorled Milkweed blooms later than most milkweeds and often into September. The small umbels of white flowers attract many pollinators, including Monarch butterflies. This small milkweed spreads to form attractive drifts.
Soil Type | Loam, Sand |
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Soil Moisture | Dry, Medium |
Sun Exposure | Full Sun, Partial |
Height | 1' - 2' |
Bloom Color | White |
Bloom Time | July, Aug |
Spacing | 1' |
Hardiness Zones | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
Root Type | Rhizome |
Benefits | Butterflies, Pollinators, Host Plant, Deer Resistant |
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) blooms later than most milkweeds and often into September. This small milkweed spreads by rhizome to form attractive drifts topped with small umbels of white flowers. Attrative to many pollinators including butterflies, Whorled Milkweed is also a host plant for the Monarch butterfly. Thin whorled leaves grant a delicate texture that combines well with other plants of lower stature in an interplanted design or a rock garden. Poorer, well-drained soils of and or gravel are preferred, and this plant also appreciates a more open space. It will not complete with taller, dominant plants. Slender seed pods are formed later in the season as the leaves turn to yellow and orange, and both of these features provide interest well into autumn. Resistant to both deer and rabbit, this milkweed is poisonous to livestock.