Poke Milkweed, Asclepias exaltation
( Asclepias exaltata ) aka Tall Milkweed Bloom Time: Summer (June – August) Location: prefers edge habitat. It seeks that happy medium between the wind and pollinators to be had in open areas and the shade and moisture to be found in forests. Often found along roadsides, paths, forest edges, and clearings (general). Found only in Best Woods (Arb). Family: Dogbane (Apocynaceae) Physical Description: flowers droop in clusters (umbels) at the end of bare stalks. They have five white (sometimes purplish), cylindrical hoods with a “horn” of sorts emerging from the center. Five light green petals peel back sharply from these hoods. Leaves are long and wide, ovular, and deeply veined. Oppositely attached. Stem is light green to purplish. Produces long, furry pods full of tufted seeds (for wind dispersal) in late summer. Grows to be 2-6 ft. tall. The most shade-tolerant species of milkweed in Minnesota, and one of the most attractive options for Monarch butterflies.