Asclepias speciosus, July 21, 2021
Common & scientific name
Showy milkweed, Asclepias speciosus
Family
Showy milkweed, Asclepiadaceae
Location
Roadside, 8,300’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
A newcomer to Independence Pass, and perhaps a sign of plants moving up in response to climate change, this large, dramatic plant is best known for its association with monarch butterflies, who depend on it for food and for making it unappealing to predators (the sap in showy milkweed is poisonous).