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.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf margin
Crenate; Entire
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are simple, opposite in arrangement, lance-shaped, 4" long and 1 1/2" wide, wavy or folded along their margins with hairs. The upper leaf surface is darker green than the lower leaf surface and they have light green to red-green 1/8" long petioles. Veination is pinnate with reticulated secondary veination. Leaf shape changes depending on soil moisture, with longer thinner leaves on more drought stressed plants and wider rounder leaves on plants with adequate water.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Pink
Flower form
Umbel
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
15-45 flowers appear in a 1 3/4" wide dome-shaped clusters (umbles) that hang downward from the upper leaf axils. Flowers appear for about three weeks anywhere from May through August and are yellow green, light green, with a hint of pink. Individual flowers are 8 mm long and 3 mm wide with 5 petals and 5 sepals.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Cream/Tan; Green
Fruit type
Follicle
Fruit size
> 3 inches long
Fruit detail
Follicles are green 4" long, 1/2"-3/4" wide and pointed at either end. When they are mature in the fall they turn brown and split open on one side to reveal dark brown flattened oval tufted with white hairs on one end seeds that are wind dispersed. The follicles are smoother than other milkweeds and can help with the ID of this plant.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Light green to purple-green, unbranched with some hairs.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Wildlife value
This plat supports the larval stage of the monarch butterfly. The nectar from this plant attracts bumblebees.
Contact Dermatitis; Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Dry Soil; Poor Soil
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Flowers; Fruits; Leaves; Sap/Juice; Stems
Poison symptoms
Can cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weakness, lethargy, and confusion if eaten in quantity. Milky sap can cause contact dermatitis and eye irritation.