Asclepias exaltata (Poke Milkweed)

Asclepias exaltata L.

Asclepias bicknellii Vail

Asclepias phytolaccoides Pursh

Poke Milkweed, Tall Milkweed

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Gentianales	Gentians, coffee, gardenias, frangipani, many others
Family	Asclepiadaceae	Includes some herbs, twining shrubs, lianas, leafless stem succulents, rarely trees
Genus	Asclepias	For Asklepios, the Greek god of healing
Species	exaltata	“Very tall, lofty”

About plant names...

Poke milkweed is a North American native plant.

Identification: Plants are 24-72" (60-182 cm) in height, with one to three stems per plant. Stems are often dark greenish purple. Leaves are opposite, narrow, elliptic, with petioles (stems) 1-3" (2.5-7.6 cm) long. They have smooth tops and fuzzy undersides, and are 3-8" (7.6-20 cm) × 1-3" (2.5-7.6 cm). Leaf veins often have a tinge of purple. Flowers are white, about ⅜" (9.5 mm) around, with tinges of green or lavender colors, appearing as umbels that hang downward on greenish or purplish stems. Each umbel has about ten flowers, and each stem has one to six umbels. They appear from July to August. Seed pods are 4-6" (10-15 cm) long, and narrower than those of common milkweed.

See J. S. Pippen’s site at Duke University for a milkweed comparison chart.

Edibility: Mildly toxic in large quantities, due to the presence of cardiac glycosides.

Online References:

Asclepias exaltata at Illinois Wildflowers

Asclepias exaltata on monarchwatch.org

Asclepias exaltata at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Asclepias exaltata on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

Asclepias exaltata at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Asclepias exaltata on Discover Life

Asclepias exaltata at Minnesota Wildflowers

Asclepias exaltata on Ontario Wildflowers

7/2/2014 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, MA
≈ 7 × 8" (16 × 20 cm)

7/4/2017 · Kibby Climb, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, NH
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

7/23/2017 · Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA
≈ 6 × 10" (16 × 24 cm)

7/2/2014 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, MA
≈ 12 × 8" (31 × 21 cm)

7/23/2017 · Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA
≈ 4½ × 7" (12 × 18 cm)

6/27/2012 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, MA
≈ 3½ × 5" (9.2 × 13 cm)

6/27/2012 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, MA
≈ 4½ × 3" (11 × 7.9 cm)

7/23/2017 · Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA
≈ 10 × 6" (24 × 16 cm)

6/27/2012 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, MA
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 23 cm) ID is uncertain

Asclepias exaltata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

7/23/2017 · Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 20 cm)

7/2/2014 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, MA
≈ 11 × 7" (28 × 18 cm)

7/2/2014 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, MA
≈ 8 × 6" (20 × 14 cm)

7/4/2017 · Kibby Climb, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, NH
≈ 3½ × 3½" (9.7 × 9.2 cm)

6/27/2012 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, MA
≈ 4½ × 3" (11 × 7.9 cm) ID is uncertain

7/31/2016 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, VA

7/2/2014 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, MA
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 15 cm)

7/23/2017 · Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 20 cm)

7/4/2017 · Kibby Climb, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, NH
≈ 10 × 6" (24 × 16 cm)

7/23/2017 · Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 20 cm)

7/23/2017 · Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA
≈ 10 × 6" (24 × 16 cm)

Range:

About this map...