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Poke Milkweed
Asclepias exaltata

Poke Milkweed is the most shade-tolerant Asclepias species in Minnesota. It is a monarch favorite.

USDA symbol: ASEX

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height5 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorWhite
Poke Milkweed (Poke Milkweed<div><em class="small">Asclepias exaltata</em></div>)
Photo credit: Metro Blooms (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience4
Salt ToleranceUnknown
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant, General Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsJune to July
Larval Host ofButterflies
Specific Pollinators HostedDanaus plexippus
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Stem Nesting, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Rain Garden, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism8
Herbivore SensitivityLow
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Benton, Carver, Cass, Chisago, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Kandiyohi, Le Sueur, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Pine, Ramsey, Rice, Sherburne, Stearns, Steele, Todd, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Winona, Wright
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Lakes and Forests, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands