Photo of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

View high resolution

Taken on Jun. 23, 2014

Location

Photographer & Copyright

© Alex Zorach

CC BY-SA 4.0

Inclusion in Plant ID / Comparison Guides

This photo is featured in 2 plant ID/comparison guides:

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) vs. Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)

Updated June 19th, 2024

These two species are in the same family, and are easily confused early in the season. Both are long-rhizomatous, with simple, opposite leaves with entire margins. Later in the season, they can easily be told apart by flowers, seed pods, or branching habit. Common milkweed ranges into drier conditions and is more tolerant of sandy and/or clayey soils, whereas hemp dogbane ranges farther west and south, prefers loamy soils, and is more tolerant of temporary spring flooding.

View Full Guide

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) vs. Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens)

Updated October 5th, 2021

Although these plants average different bloom colors, they are otherwise quite similar and can be hard to tell apart, especially early in the season. Even some blooming plants can be hard to distinguish, due to a high variation in bloom color in each species. Common milkweed is wider-ranging and occurs in a broader variety of disturbed habitats, whereas purple milkweed is rarer and more restricted to intact natural areas.

View Full Guide