Asclepias pedicellata

Common Names

Stalked Milkweed, Savanna Milkweed, Savannah Milkweed

Summary

Savanna milkweed is a small perennial forb in the Apocynaceae family native to the southeastern United States, with a native range including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, it grows as an unbranched plant about 8 inches tall with opposite, narrow leaves roughly 1.5 inches long and 1/5 inch wide, and features loose clusters of greenish-yellow flowers whose petals stand erect against the corona, it exudes a white milky sap when a leaf is broken, and occurs in moist to mesic Longleaf Pine habitats, primarily in drier portions of pine savannas and in pine flatwoods, restricted to the southeastern Coastal Plain of North Carolina, bloom occurs May through July, with fruiting in July and August, cultivation and practical considerations note a preference for wet to mesic sites with partial shade and hardy status in USDA zones 7–10, the species is generally rare in its range and not commonly cultivated in gardens due to rarity, it serves as a host plant for monarchs and other butterflies and provides nectar for pollinators; like other milkweeds, it contains cardiac glycosides and is poisonous if ingested.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-12 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 7-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun. Tolerates Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Sandy soils with moist to mesic moisture

Soil Drainage

Tolerates a range of drainage; no single ideal drainage is specified.

Bloom Color

Greenish-yellow

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Growth Rate

Perennial

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators