Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Colonial, stout, erect, perennial from 3-7' tall, usually un-branched and hairy. Leaves are opposite, stalked, oblong to ovate to elliptic, hairy beneath from 4-6" long. Umbels are dense, many-flowered, often numerous, terminal and lateral. Flowers are purple to greenish-white, horns same length as the hoods. Found in fields, roadsides, and waste places. Bloom time: June-August. Monarch butterfly larvae eat the plant's cardiac glycosides which make them toxic to birds and
other predators.