Milkweeds are common wildflowers in the Mystic Shores area, but their varied forms may make them difficult to recognize. They are called milkweeds because they usually ooze a white sap when cut; after blooming, seedpods dramatically split open to reveal the seeds and white floss.
In addition to providing fascinating blooms, milkweeds are a larval food source for Monarch butterflies, and being perennials they will return year after year if left undisturbed.
Two common varieties are Antelope Horns and Green Milkweed Vine:
Antelope horns may grow as tall as 24 inches, but are usually around eight inches high; the blooms have little horn-like prongs that give them their name.
Green milkweed vine, or pearl milkweed, is a well-behaved twining vine, with a single white dot in the center of a five-pointed pale green dime-size flower.
Other milkweed varieties are adapted to our area and occur as native plants. The orange-flowered butterfly weed is part of the milkweed family, but is usually planted by gardeners rather than occurring naturally.
Information on these and other varieties is available at this link:
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/search.php?family=Asclepiadaceae&newsearch=true
Caution! Exercise caution when handling milkweeds or when children are present: the white sap may irritate skin, and the plants are reportedly toxic.
