# Green Comet Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora)

> A subtle, wide-ranging prairie milkweed with tight ball-shaped clusters of purely green flowers pressed against the stem. Enormously variable in leaf shape across its range, from broad and wavy to narrow and folded, which makes it one of the most confusing milkweeds to key out.

Source: https://milkweedusa.com/species/green-comet-milkweed/  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Milkweed USA)

## Summary

A subtle, wide-ranging prairie milkweed with tight ball-shaped clusters of purely green flowers pressed against the stem. Enormously variable in leaf shape across its range, from broad and wavy to narrow and folded, which makes it one of the most confusing milkweeds to key out.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Asclepias viridiflora Raf. |
| Genus | Asclepias |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Common names | Green Comet Milkweed, Green Milkweed, Short Green Milkweed |
| Status | Native |
| Height | 1 ft–3 ft |
| Spread | 1 ft–1.7 ft |
| Flower color | green |
| Bloom period | May to August |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil moisture | Dry |
| USDA zones | 3-9 |
| Leaf arrangement | opposite |
| Leaf shape | elliptic |
| Sap | Milky latex |
| Root system | Deep taproot, resents transplanting |
| Seed stratification | 30 days cold-moist |
| Monarch value (0-5) | 3 |
| Garden value (0-5) | 3 |
| Nectar value (0-5) | 3 |
| US states recorded | Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming |

## Identification

- Flowers entirely green with no purple or white, in dense sessile or short-stalked clusters.
- Leaves thick and often with wavy margins; shape varies wildly between populations.
- Stems usually single, sometimes leaning; the whole plant is understated and easy to walk past.

## Ecology

Found on dry prairie, glades, sand and thin rocky soil across most of the continent. Used by monarchs, though its scattered distribution means it is rarely a major host. Wasps and small bees dominate the flowers.

## Growing

A collector’s plant rather than a landscape one. Needs perfect drainage and lean soil, and the taproot makes container-raised plants tricky to establish. Slow but very long-lived.

## Cautions

Standard milkweed cautions apply; not a significant livestock risk given its scattered occurrence.

## References

- Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1167930-2
- GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/3170313
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/158763
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_viridiflora
- BONAP county map: https://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Asclepias%20viridiflora.png
- NatureServe: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search?searchTerm=Asclepias%20viridiflora

## Photographs

- Green-flowered Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) (wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green-flowered_Milkweed_(Asclepias_viridiflora).jpg
- Green-flowered Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) - 14785916461 (wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green-flowered_Milkweed_(Asclepias_viridiflora)_-_14785916461.jpg
- Green-flowered Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) - 14788711822 (wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green-flowered_Milkweed_(Asclepias_viridiflora)_-_14788711822.jpg
- Green-flowered Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) - 14808904633 (wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green-flowered_Milkweed_(Asclepias_viridiflora)_-_14808904633.jpg
- Green-flowered Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) - 14602357590 (wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green-flowered_Milkweed_(Asclepias_viridiflora)_-_14602357590.jpg
- Green-flowered Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) - 14602399299 (wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green-flowered_Milkweed_(Asclepias_viridiflora)_-_14602399299.jpg
- Green-flowered Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) - 14602400849 (wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green-flowered_Milkweed_(Asclepias_viridiflora)_-_14602400849.jpg
- Green-flowered Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) - 19414954118 (wackybadger, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green-flowered_Milkweed_(Asclepias_viridiflora)_-_19414954118.jpg

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Green Comet Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora). https://milkweedusa.com/species/green-comet-milkweed/