Common milkweed is a perennial plant that grows wild in sunny fields and roadsides. All parts of common milkweed plants produce a white latex when broken.

The fragrant, pink milkweed blossoms that emerge typically in the month of June have a sweet nectar and are a favorite of monarch butterflies and humans alike. The blossoms are a stunning and fragrant addition to salads. 

Come July, these blossoms grow into edible seedpods. These immature seedpods have a delicious, bean-like flavor and can be sauteed, steamed, fried or stuffed! They are best picked small, 1-2 inches long.

Once mature, these pods become papery and release hundreds of seeds attached to a fluffy floss that carry them in the wind.

Latin Name: Asclepias syriaca

Season: July