Wand Milkweed Asclepias viridiflora

Green comet milkweed is a native perennial wildflower in the Apocynaceae (dogbane) family found in open woodlands or woodland margins, sand dunes, prairies, grasslands, or limestone glades.  It prefers quality habitats and does not thrive in disturbed areas. The Latin for "viridiflora" is green-flowered.  

It has upright unbranched stems that reach two feet tall have short hairs.  The leaves are opposite and appear either folded or wavy.   Both the stem and leaves contain a milky sap that can cause contact dermatitis in humans and can cause birds to avoid insects, like monarch butterfly larva that feed on this plant.  The flowers are light green to yellow with a blush of pink and appear from late spring to late summer.  The plant forms from a large central tap root and the plants are usually found in solitary rather than in colonies.  When the plant begins to set its green fruit in spindle shaped pods, it does begin to decline in appearance.  

Plant in the full sun in dry sandy, loamy or rocky soils.  This milkweed will tolerate partial shade and poor soils and even rich soils as long as they are well-drained.   This plant is resistant to browsing by mammals.  

While this is not a particularly showy landscape plant it does provide valuable habitat for pollinators.  

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant disease problems. Most common milkweed pests (aphids, milkweed beetles, Monarch larvae, and milkweed tussock moth larvae) are not problematic, but both large and small milkweed bugs can be very damaging to seed pods.