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Fewflower Milkweed
Asclepias lanceolata

Photo Citations
Naturedigger would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions to the fewflower milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata) identification slide:
Main flower image provided by: Eric Keith; iNaturalist observation (cropped), CC BY-NC 4.0
Inset flower image provided by: Mary Keim; iNaturalist observation (cropped), CC BY-NC 4.0
Pod image provided by: Jeff Stauffer; iNaturalist observation (cropped), CC BY-NC 4.0
Leaf and Stem Image by: Nathan Shepard; iNaturalist observation (cropped), CC BY-NC 4.0
Asclepias lanceolata Profile
Common Name(s):
fewflower milkweed
fewflowered milkweed
few-flower milkweed
red milkweed
purple silkweed
Cedar Hill milkweed
Scientific Name:
Asclepias lanceolata
USDA Symbol:
ASLA2
Native Range:
AL, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, SC, TN, TX, VA
Habitat:
• fresh to brackish marshes
• wet pinelands
• moist ditches
• low glades
• savannas
• may be found growing in same habitat as salt marshmallow (Kostelezkya virginica)
Growing Conditions:
• full sun but may tolerate semi-shaded areas
• sandy or loamy low-nutrient soils
• both fresh and brackish (requires a lot of water)
Plant Height:
• 3-5 feet (1-1.5 meters) tall
Stem Description:
• smooth
• slender
• green to purplish
• branches near the top of plant
Leaf Description:
• linear to lance shaped
• acuminate apex
• short petiole or sessile
• blades may be curved upward from midvein
• wide spacing between pairs of leaves along stem
Leaf Arrangement:
• opposite
Leaf Margin:
• entire
Leaf Surface:
• hairless
• approximately 6 inches (15.25 centimeters) long
• approximately 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide
Flowering Period:
• May through August
Flower Description:
• sparse heads of bright orangish to red flowers
• 1-3 umbels that grow at the ends of stems
• hoods extend well above stigmatic disc
• horns are obvious and curved inward
Flower Color:
• corolla (petals) orangish red to reddish purple
• corona (horns and hoods) yellowish orange to reddish purple
Pod Description:
• long and slender
• mostly hairless
• erect and occur on deflexed pedicels
Other Information:
• special value to native bees and supports conservation biological control by attracting parasitoid insects that prey on pests
• was first described by Dr. Eli Ives in the neighborhood of Cedar Hill located in New Haven, CT, which is why one of the common names is Cedar Hill milkweed
• the species name lanceolata comes from the shape of the lance-shaped leaves
To Locate and Purchase Seeds (when available):
Xerces Society Milkweed Seed Finder
Milkweed and Wildflower Vendors
For More Information About This Species Visit:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
North Carolina Extension Gardner