What kind of milkweed is this?

[kstraumann]

I can't figure out what kind of milkweed this is. It is growing in central Minnesota in rocky soil. It is about 4-5 feet tall as well. I can't seem to find a match in any of the milkweed resources I have checked. Thanks!

[allaflutter}i{]

My slightly trained eye says "Common Milkweed" but someone with more experience may know better. Sorry, I don't now the Latin name.

[Mona Miller]

Looks like common milkeeed, Asclepias syriaca. The leaves may be larger because it looks like it is getting some shade from the pine tree.

http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/fl ... n-milkweed
http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/ud ... 0_0659.jpg
http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/ud ... 0_0658.jpg

[Paul Cherubini]

That's common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. When I'm in central Minnesota, I routinely find monarchs, caterpillars and common milkweed along the margins or the corn and soybean crops like this:
http://saber.net/~monarch/balem.jpg
http://saber.net/~monarch/balek.jpg
http://saber.net/~monarch/balen.jpg

[kstraumann]

Really? At first I thought it was common milkweed as well, but it is so much taller than any other common milkweed around here, and the leaves are more oval than typical common milkweed I see. None of the pictures of ascelpias syriaca that I have seen have leaves this rounded-- they are more pointed than this. Not SUPER pointy, but much more than this plant.

[Paul Cherubini]

There can be quite a bit of variation in the height, leaf shape and flower color of common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. I had some in my Caifornia yard that grew 7 feet high that I fertilized using MiracleGro fertilizer. But the plants are usualy only 2-4 feet tall.

[Mona Miller]

Most of my common milkweed plants are over 6 ft. tall. I do water them and they are mature plants. But, in the fields in Virginia, I see it that tall, too; especially, with all this rain we have been having.