The Conservation Department acquired this native remnant prairie in 1978. It is currently 529 acres in size.
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Status
Name
Endangered
Name
Threatened
Name
Species of Conservation Concern
Scientific Name
Asclepias meadii
Family
Apocynaceae (dogbanes); formerly Asclepiadaceae (milkweeds)
Description
Mead's milkweed, an endangered wildflower, once flourished in the tallgrass prairies of the midwestern United States, including most of Missouri. Today, it has a very limited distribution in the state.
Mead's milkweed is a perennial, nonwoody, erect plant with a smooth stem and milky sap. A single plant may have multiple stems, which can be mistaken for individual plants. Each stem produces flowers for two or three years and then becomes dormant or disappears.
Leaves are opposite, narrow, and tapering, with 2–6 pairs per plant.
Flowers in 1 or 2 clusters at the top of the plant's stem. Each cluster has 5–14 (less than 20) flowers. The flowers are yellow-green or greenish-cream and are often tinged with purple. Individual flowers have the distinctive form of milkweeds, with five tubular hood-shaped structures with a slender “horn” extending from each one.
Blooms from late May to mid-June.
The fruits are pods, starting out green but gradually becoming darker as they mature, from July to October. The pods can be 1½ to 4 inches long.
Similar species: Missouri has several other species of milkweeds. Learn more about them on their group page and on the several other individual species pages in this guide.
Size
Height: 1 to 2 feet.
Where To Find
Historically, Mead’s milkweed ranged throughout much of Missouri. It is presently found in the Osage Plains region and the St. Francois mountains region of the Ozarks.
Habitat and Conservation
Habitats include mesic to dry tallgrass and upland prairies with sandstone or chert bedrock, prairie hay meadows, railroad rights-of-way, prairie remnants, virgin mesic silt loam prairies, and igneous glades.
Conservation efforts include delaying haying until September, periodic burning of prairies, and rotational grazing.
Status
A Missouri species of conservation concern; listed as endangered by the Missouri Department of Conservation and as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Destruction of native prairie habitat is the cause for Mead's milkweed's decline. Many populations contain genetically identical plants (having reproduced only via root division) and, lacking nearby plants with different genetics with which to cross-pollinate, do not produce viable seed.
Human Connections
Milkweeds, with the remarkable chemicals present in their sap, had many uses for Native Americans, who used these plants medicinally. The fibrous stems yielded material for cordage and weaving, and the silky hairs on the seeds have had various uses over the years.
Ecosystem Connections
The sap of most milkweeds is toxic and prevents the plants from being eaten. Some insects, however, can eat milkweeds and thus become unpalatable to predators themselves. Meanwhile, many insects sip freely of milkweed nectar, which is not toxic to them.
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Media Gallery
Image
Caption
Mead’s milkweed, an endangered plant, once flourished in the tallgrass prairies of the Midwestern United States, including most of Missouri.
Credit
MDC Staff
Right to Use
Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
Image
Caption
Mead's milkweed
Credit
Jim Rathert
Right to Use
Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
Image
Caption
Mead's milkweed
Credit
Jim Rathert
Right to Use
Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
Image
Caption
Mead's milkweed, an endangered wildflower, once flourished in the tallgrass prairies of the midwestern United States, including most of Missouri.
Credit
MDC staff
Right to Use
Use of this image is restricted to MDC only
Image
Image
Image
Image
Title
Similar Species
Similar Species
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Where to See Species
About Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants in Missouri
A very simple way of thinking about the green world is to divide the vascular plants into two groups: woody and nonwoody (or herbaceous). But this is an artificial division; many plant families include some species that are woody and some that are not. The diversity of nonwoody vascular plants is staggering! Think of all the ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, peas, sunflowers, nightshades, milkweeds, mustards, mints, and mallows — weeds and wildflowers — and many more!