Sullivant’s Milkweed, also known as Prairie Milkweed, was discovered just west of Columbus, Ohio, by William Starling Sullivant, this plant’s namesake. In the wild, its presence indicates high-quality prairie habitats. Our modern agricultural practices and rampant development have led to the destruction of these pristine prairies and many of the flora and fauna that rely on them, which makes planting these species back into our landscapes all the more important. Sullivant’s Milkweed is considered to be more well-behaved than the very similar Common Milkweed, as it tends to be shorter and less aggressive. The upward-swept leaves have a distinctive dusky pink vein down the middle. The rounded, pink flower clusters are also slightly bigger than those of Common Milkweed. The root system consists of a deep taproot and fleshy rhizomes that slowly spread, forming clonal colonies.Milkweeds are incredibly important plants because they act as a larval host and as a nectar source for adult butterflies and other insects. North America’s celebrity butterfly, the Monarch, lays her eggs on milkweed plants. The distinctive yellow, black, and white striped caterpillars eat only the leaves of this genus, making them a vital part of the ecosystem from coast to coast. It also hosts a specialist moth, the Milkweed Tussock Moth, as well as many milkweed beetles and bugs. They are very active plants, always crawling with beautiful and interesting creatures that are drawn to them! Milkweeds are a productive, necessary, and worthy group of plants to include in any landscape.
Sources:
The Midwestern Native Garden by Charlotte Adelman & Bernard L. Schwartz
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Illinois Wildflowers
