| White Milkweed (Asclepias variegata) Linnaeus, 1753 |
| Synonyms: Asclepias citrifolia, Asclepias hybrida, Asclepias lindleyi, Biventraria variegata, white-flowered milkweed, redring milkweed |
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Asclepias variegata is a perennial herb restricted to the eastern and southeastern United States; from southern Illinois to New York, south to eastern Texas, and northern Florida (see BONAP’s map). This species is found in clay-loam, loam, or rocky soils in pine forests, woodland edges, upland savanna, rocky bluffs, stream banks, roadsides, etc. It benefits from occasional wildfires. The stem is light green to purplish; the leaves are oval and opposite. Small white flowers with purplish centers crowded into round, terminal clusters. Blooming occurs from May through July. The fruit are brownish pods; the seeds are distributed by the wind. This species is pollinated by butterflies, including skippers, and probably long-tongued hymenopterans. The caterpillars of the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) feed on this species.
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