Pronounced: as-KLEE-pee-as sul-ih-VAN-tee-eye (botanical Latin guide)
A prairie milkweed with pink flower clusters and broad, smooth leaves that often sweep upward.
Photograph by Brian Woolman / Where’s Wildlife. Tap to browse the photos.
Family: Apocynaceae
Bloom: June–August
Height: 2–3 feet
Habitat: Moist to mesic tallgrass prairies and prairie remnants
Other common names: Prairie Milkweed · Smooth Milkweed
Bloom timing and height vary by location.
01 · Broad opposite leaves with smooth surfaces
02 · Leaf midveins often reddish and blades angled upward
03 · Rounded clusters of comparatively large pink flowers
Moist to mesic tallgrass prairies and prairie remnants. Look for flowers during june–august.
Include the leaf surface and midvein as well as a close view of the pink flower cluster.
Monarch caterpillars use the leaves. Flower clusters also provide nectar for bees, butterflies and other insects.
Check the underside of a leaf: Common Milkweed is typically hairy beneath, whereas Sullivant’s is smooth.
Upturned leaves and reddish midveins support an identification, especially alongside the flower details.
Prairie Milkweed is also used for other milkweeds, including Asclepias hirtella. The scientific name avoids confusion.
The central United States and southern Ontario.
Observation maps show reported sightings, not the complete native range. Some recorded populations may be historical.
