Green milkweed (Asclepias viridis)
(aka Spider Milkweed; Green Antelopehorn)
Milkweed Family (Asclepiadaceae)
All the rain this spring has the green milkweed really doing well and looking good. I am seeing it all over the place. Green Milkweed is a native perennial forb. Like other milkweeds it exudes a sticky white milky substance if you break a leaf off. This common milkweed bloom from late spring into middle summer. Common in pastures and prairies in Oklahoma, and from Kansas to Texas. Generally avoided by cattle and horses. I saw a bunch the other day in a very overgrazed pasture, completely untouched, the only thing growing above a half an inch tall. It may be found along roadsides or ditches (like these pictured), as well as pastures and prairies.
From the North American Butterfly Association website:
Green Antelopehorn is used by Monarchs, Queens, and Soldiers as a caterpillar food source. In certain parts of Texas, Green Antelopehorn is very important to Monarchs as move northward from Mexico in the spring. The nectar provided is relished by a wide variety of butterflies including swallowtails, whites, and checkerspots, to name just a few.
The Okies for Monarchs website lists green milkweed as one of the “top 12” statewide plants for monarchs.