July 19, 2014: The Milkweeds of AHHP

Milkweeds of Ada Hayden Heritage Park. 7/19/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Currently, there are three milkweed species blooming at the Park (Swamp, Butterfly, & Common). The Swamp Milkweed (left) can be found in prairie areas with moist soil and along the edges of prairie potholes. They bloom July through August. The Butterfly Milkweed (center) can be found in dry, open areas. Of the three, this is the most abundant milkweed present at the Park. Numerous plants are found along the east side of the main lakes and to the north of Ponds N and M. This species blooms from June to September. The Common Milkweed (right) can be found throughout the Park.


All three are members of the Milkweed family Asclepiadaceae. The genus Asclepias comes from the name of the Greek god of healing and medicine.