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Asclepias humistrata Walter
Pinewoods Milkweed
Sandhill Milkweed
Purple Milkweed
Florida native
A frequent wildflower of sandhills and scrub throughout most of the panhandle plus the north and central peninsula. The range includes the southeastern coastal states from Louisiana into North Carolina.
Pinewoods milkweed has smooth stems to 1m (~3 ft.) long which may be prostrate or erect. The dull-green leaves are opposite, sessile and clasping with prominent veins. The five-lobed flowers are typically pink to lavender and are in terminal clusters.
Other common names for Asclepias humistrata include sandhill milkweed, purple milkweed, pink-veined milkweed and creeping milkweed. This is a host plant for both the monarch and queen butterflies.
Asclepias humistrata is a member of the Apocynaceae - Dogbane family.
Other species of the Asclepias genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Asclepias cinerea - CAROLINA MILKWEED
Asclepias curassavica - TROPICAL MILKWEED
Asclepias curtissii - CURTISS' MILKWEED
Asclepias lanceolata - FEWFLOWER MILKWEED
Asclepias longifolia - LONGLEAF MILKWEED
Asclepias michauxii - MICHAUX'S MILKWEED
Asclepias pedicellata - SAVANNAH MILKWEED
Asclepias perennis - SWAMP MILKWEED
Asclepias tomentosa - VELVETLEAF MILKWEED
Asclepias tuberosa - BUTTERFLY WEED
Asclepias verticillata - WHORLED MILKWEED
Asclepias viridiflora - GREEN MILKWEED
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Oct 19, 2023
