Meet the Milkweed

Click on the flower for a better look

Asclepias syriaca – Common Milkweed – is a perennial native plant.  As a matter of fact - of the more than 2,000 milkweed species worldwide 13 of them call Wisconsin home.

This is a fascinating plant in that the sap contains an organic compound known as a cardiac glycoside.  If consumed you may suffer a reaction that can include an elevated heartrate, flushing and faintness.   Similarly, the beneficial medical use of these compounds is in treatments for congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia.  Digitalis purpurea – found in the Foxglove plant - has been used in medicine for several hundred years.  But I digress.   

The Monarch butterfly lays its eggs exclusively on this plant and Monarch larvae ingest the plant sap with no ill effects.  As a consequence Monarchs become toxic to birds and other predators.