velvet-leaf milkweed

Asclepias tomentosa (common names include velvet milkweed, velvetleaf milkweed, and tuba milkweed) is a flowering plant in the milkweed family. It is indigenous to parts of Florida, Texas, and some southeastern states in the United States. It is a perennial dicot.

Asclepias tormentosa grows in scrub, sandhill, xeric hammock edges, and scrubby flatwoods habitats. It provides nectar that feeds various species and is a larval host plant for monach (Danaus plexippus) , queen (Danaus gilippus) and soldier (Danaus eresimus) butterflies.