Uploaded September 2017 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
Common Milkweed (Asclepias Syriaca) is a really delicious and nutritious plant, when properly cooked. In this episode, I show:
1. How to properly: identify, forage, and cook common milkweed.
2. How to avoid similar-looking toxic plants.
Here are some key differences to help identify Common Milkweed from other similar plants:
Common Milkweed & Dogbane
1. Common Milkweed stalks are hollow. / Dogbane stalks are solid.
2. Common Milkweed has a single stalk. / Dogbane branches out as it grows.
3. Common Milkweed seedpods are: meaty, shaped like a teardrop, and has soft spikes covering its surface. / Dogbane seedpods are long and slender, similar in appearance to string beans.
Common Milkweed Vs. Butterfly Weed
1. Common Milkweed flowers are often light purple in colour, and sometimes, light pink or even white. / Butterfly Weed flowers are bright red or orange.
2. Common Milkweed sap is white (milky). / Butterfly Weed sap is clear.
Common Milkweed (Asclepias Syriaca) is a really delicious and nutritious plant, when properly cooked. In this episode, I show:
1. How to properly: identify, forage, and cook common milkweed.
2. How to avoid similar-looking toxic plants.
Here are some key differences to help identify Common Milkweed from other similar plants:
Common Milkweed & Dogbane
1. Common Milkweed stalks are hollow. / Dogbane stalks are solid.
2. Common Milkweed has a single stalk. / Dogbane branches out as it grows.
3. Common Milkweed seedpods are: meaty, shaped like a teardrop, and has soft spikes covering its surface. / Dogbane seedpods are long and slender, similar in appearance to string beans.
Common Milkweed Vs. Butterfly Weed
1. Common Milkweed flowers are often light purple in colour, and sometimes, light pink or even white. / Butterfly Weed flowers are bright red or orange.
2. Common Milkweed sap is white (milky). / Butterfly Weed sap is clear.
