Milkweed (Asclepias)

plants · monarch butterflies · poison

Milky sap inside. Milkweed plants have a sticky, milky liquid inside their stems and leaves that oozes out when they get damaged. This special juice contains poison that protects the plant from hungry animals.

Toxic to most animals. The poison in milkweed (called cardenolides) makes the plant dangerous for humans and many other creatures to eat. But some bold insects and animals have figured out how to eat it safely.

Monarch butterfly fuel. Monarch butterfly caterpillars absolutely love eating milkweed leaves and need them to grow up big and strong. The caterpillars even store the plant's poison in their own bodies to protect themselves from predators.

Pink and orange flowers. Milkweed plants produce pretty clusters of small flowers that butterflies and other insects visit for sweet nectar. These flowers are the start of the plant making new seeds.

Perennial power. Milkweed comes back year after year from the same roots, making it a tough plant that survives in many different habitats from meadows to prairies.