Use the chart below to find out which milkweed species you have in your outdoor classroom or to compare all three species with one another. The technical terms for the shapes are in purple.Click on these names below to view the species' full profile.
| Milkweed Comparison Chart |
| Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) |
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) |
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) |
||
| Leaf Shape |
 Spear or lance-shaped |
Spear or lance-shaped |
 Oval-shaped; widest part |
 Oval-shaped; twice as long
as wide Elliptical (ee-lip-tuh-kl) |
| Leaf Margin |
 Smooth edge |
Smooth edge |
Smooth edge |
|
| Leaf Arrangement |
 Each leaf is attached to the stem by itself (not paired) |
 Leaves are attached to the stem in "pairs" |
Leaves are attached to the stem in "pairs" |
|
| Leaf Form |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Flower Color | Bright orange to yellow orange |
Light pink, light purple, magenta, or red | Pinkish-purple | |
| Flower Shape |
 Stellate |
 Stellate |
 Stellate |
|
| Plant Size | Between 1-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide |
Between 3-5 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide |
Between 2-3 feet tall and 9-12 inches wide |
|
| Bloom Months | May – September | June – October | June – August | |
