One Of Many Milkweeds

May 29, 2025

Fourleaf Milkweed (Asxlepias quadrifolia) in bloom along the trails up here right now. This species of Milkweed is used as a food source by not only Monarchs but also Swallowtails, Fritillaries and some of the other nectar-feeding butterflies.

There are 73 species of Milkweed native to the United States. Monarchs use about 30 of those species as host plants. As a host plant, the Monarch uses it for the survival of its larvae. That host plant is an essential food source for the Monarch’s developing caterpillar.

The common name of “fourleaf” is used because often (but not always) the leaves are whorls of four leaves, which gives an opportunity for another common name, Whorled Milkweed.

You’ll notice in the top image, that the blooms are leaning toward a very soft pink. They are often white, but I love to find the pinks!

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.