NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Asclepias exaltata

Poke Milkweed, Tall Milkweed

Scientific Name:	Asclepias exaltata
Genus:	Asclepias
Species Epithet:	exaltata
Common Name:	Poke Milkweed, Tall Milkweed
Plant Type	Herb/Wildflower
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Size:	1-3 ft., 3-6 ft.
Bloom Color(s):	White, Pink, Green
Light:	Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day
Soil Moisture:	Moist
Bloom Time:	June, July
Growing Area:	Mountains
Habitat Description:	“Moist forests, slopes, and forest margins.” Weakley 2015
Leaf Arrangement:	Opposite
Leaf Retention:	Deciduous
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Simple
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Important for Wildlife
Landscape Value:	Suitable for home landscapes
State Rank:	S5: Secure ^(*Key)
Global Rank:	G5 - Secure ^(*Key)
Notes:	"Asclepias exaltata is a tall milkweed frequently found on the edges of forests. It resembles the Common Milkweed, A. syriaca, and has been known to hybridize with this species in areas where both occur in close proximity. The leaves can be quite large on plants growing in moist shaded conditions. Umbels are pendulous with relatively few flowers. Strikingly aromatic when in bloom (Webref 20)." Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center
Plant Martha Baskin
Blooms Martha Baskin
The flowers are greenish-white but can also be tinged with pink. Siler Bald, Macon Co., NC Bettina Darveaux
Fruit (follicle) beginning to form Siler Bald, Macon Co., NC Bettina Darveaux
A relatively tall plant that grows in rich, mesic forests. Blue Ridge Parkway, Haywood Co., NC Bettina Darveaux
Multiple pendulous umbels are very attractive. Blue Ridge Parkway, Haywood Co., NC Bettina Darveaux
Links:	USDA PLANTS Database Record