MilkweedUSA

Printable resources

Field sheets that work without a signal. All free, all CC BY 4.0, all designed to be printed in black and white if that is what you have.

Guides and keys

PDF Milkweed identification keyA two-page field key: is it a milkweed, how are the leaves arranged, what shape are they, what color are the flowers, what do the pods look like, and which lookalikes to rule out. A4 portrait PDF Seed starting guideCold stratification method, sowing depth and temperature, what to expect in year one, and a table of the stratification each species needs. A4 portrait PDF Bloom calendar wall chartWhen all 72 species are in flower, as a landscape chart. Peak bloom in solid orange. A4 landscape

State field checklists

One page per state: every species recorded there with a tick box, its scientific name, height, flower color, bloom period and soil preference, plus ruled space for notes. Native and introduced species are listed separately.

Species datasheets

One page per species: summary, key facts table, identification characters, ecology, cultivation, cautions, full state range and links to the taxonomic databases.

Classroom lesson plans

Each of the 10 classroom lessons as a printable sheet: objectives, materials, numbered steps, discussion questions, safety notes and the NGSS alignment.

Using these

Print them, photocopy them, hand them out at a plant sale, staple them into a volunteer pack. They are published under CC BY 4.0, so you may reproduce and adapt them freely, including commercially, as long as you credit Milkweed USA.

Each sheet carries the page URL it came from, so anyone holding a printout can find the full account with photographs and range maps.