Butterfly Weed

Description:

Medium sized, erect plant with dark green, lanceolate shaped leaves. Hairy stems. Bright orange clusters of flowers form at the top of the plant. This is a species of milkweed.

Habitat:

Sandy soil, mid-trail, partly shady area. Greenbelt Trail, Islip, New York.

Notes:

I spent most of the summer looking for one of these in a place where I could get photos. Most of them were growing along the highways. It apparently has a long history of uses, edible and medicinal as well as the fibers of the plant being used for cloth.