This was an exerpt from the minutes of the Central Florida Native Plant Society Meeting:
SPEAKER--Steve Farnsworth “Milkweeds of Florida”
When he agreed to do this talk, Steve Farnsworth thought that Florida was host to 10-12 native milkweed species. He has since found out that there are 21 species. At one time the milkweed plants belonged to the Asclepiadaceae family, but that changed. They are now in the Apocynaceae family. Milkweeds have a number of identifying features:
1. Milky toxic sap
2. Annual tops and perennial roots. When transplanting by roots, make sure to dig 2-3 feet in order to ensure plant survival.
3. Unusual five-petaled flowers with staminal hoods. These are designed to get an insect's foot inside the hood to pull out the pollinia. Milkweeds generally do not self-pollinate.
4. Long seed pods--The silky hears on the seeds in the pods are good insulation; better than down in vests and comforters.
Sandhill Milkweed (Asclepias humistrata)--Has pink veins on leaves. Flowers bloom in spring. grows along road shoulders. Difficult to transplant.
Velvetleaf Milkweed (Asclepias tomentosa)--Grows in Sumter and Citrus counties and is also found in northern, central, and southwestern Florida.
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)--Grows throughout Florida. Identified by little clusters of white flowers. It is a very wispy plant with opposite whorled leaves that is common in sandhill regions.
Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis)--Purple/pinkish flower that is found in northern and central Florida, including Citrus County.
Carolina Milkweed (Asclepias cinerea)--Wispy plant that grows in northern Florida.
Largeflower Milkweed (Asclepia connivens)--Robust, frilly large flowers that can grow in wet pineland areas.
Florida Milkweed (Asclepias feayi)--Very attractive white flower that grows in the drier side of pinewoods located in central and southwestern Florida.
Longleaf Milkweed (Asclepias longifolia)--Grows throughout Florida with 6 in. leaves and whitish-purplish flowers.
Pineland Milkweed (Asclepias obovata)--Only found on the Florida Panhandle. It is the only milkweed with distinctively wavy, curly, hairy leaves. It has yellow flowers with orangish hoods.
Michaux's Milkweed (Asclepias michauxii)--Has clusters of pinkish flowers with greenish petals. It grows in northern Florida.
Savannah Milkweed (Asclepias pedicellata) This milkweed is found throughout Florida in wet flatwoods. Flowers are greenish-yellow, sometimes cream colored.
Southern Milkweed (Asclepias viridula) Grows in northern Florida in wet grassy flatlands. The greenish flowers are not showy. This is a threatened specicies.
Curtiss' Milkweed (Asclepias curtissii) This milkweed is one of the easiest to transplant because its big fat root is not buried very deeply. It grows in scrub habitat and is endangered in Florida.
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)--Grows 5-6 ft. tall like a small shrub. It has pinkish flowers. The plant can easily host a number of butterfly larva without being destroyed like most other milkweed plants.
Fewflower Milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata)--Grows to approximately 2-3 ft. tall along the edge of marshes or wetlands. It has showy orange flowers that attract butterflies as a nectar source.
White Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias perennis) - This milkweed is shade tolerant unlike most other milkweed species. It also doesn't have tufts of hairs around the seeds to help carry them into the wind. Regular seed distribution is by floating on water.
Red Milkweed (Asclepias rubra) - This gorgeous purple or lavender flowered milkweed with long, narrow leaves grows in the Florida Panhandle.
Redring Milkweed (Asclepias variegata)--Grows on edges of hammocks in northern Florida.
Green Antelopehorn (Asclepias viridis)--This is a rockland milkweed that grows on limestone outcrops near the surface scattered throughout Florida. It has purplish stamens on large clusters of flowers that attract butterflies.
Bloodflower (Asclepias curassavica)—This flower attracts Monarch Butterflies and can survive better than native milkweed species being eaten as a larval food plant. It is a Florida exotic that is native to tropical America. If grown instead of native milkweeds, please keep it in check as it will spread, especially in wetland.
