Common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. Also called butterfly flower, silkweed, and swallow-wort. Family Apocynaceae, the dogbane family.

The milkweeds used to be in their own family, Asclepiadaceae, but due to similarities with the dogbanes, the families were merged.

Like other plants in Apocynaceae, milkweed contains cardiac glycosides. Common milkweed is considerably less toxic than its relatives, only earning a Class III toxicity rating (slightly poisonous).

Common milkweed is edible at certain stages. The young shoots can be cooked like asparagus, the flower buds can be pickled like capers, the flowers can be made into a cordial, and the immature seed pods can be prepared like okra. The young shoots are safe to eat, but the plant becomes poisonous, as well as tough and fibrous, as it gets older.

Hemp dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) has been mistaken for milkweed when young, but it is bitter and very poisonous (Class Ib). Euell Gibbons claimed that common milkweed is also bitter and poisonous, but most authors now believe he had confused milkweed with dogbane.

Milkweed is a popular plant for insects and butterflies, especially the monarch butterfly. Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed leaves.

Common milkweed spreads aggressively from rhizomes, so it's not a great plant for gardens, despite the lovely, fragrant blossoms. Even if you mow or cut the plant off at the base, it will regrow from the roots.

Milkweed produces an excellent fiber with yields comparable to hemp. The silk produced by the seed pods can also be used as stuffing for pillows or insulation for clothing or comforters.