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Asclepias speciosa
"...a species of milkweed known commonly as the showy milkweed. This flowering plant is a hairy, erect perennial. The large, pointed, bananalike leaves are arranged opposite on the stalklike stem. The eye-catching furry pale pink to pinkish-purple flowers are arranged in thick umbels. Their corollas are reflexed and the central flower parts, five hoods with prominent hooks, are star-shaped. The fruit is a large, rough follicle filled with many flat oval seeds with luxuriant silky plumes." from Wikipedia
"Milkweed grows in clumps beside roadways and on abandoned farmlands and other open areas, reaching heights of 120 to 150 cm (4 to 5 ft) during the summer...Showy milkweed occurs in many sunny, dry habitats including fields and roadsides, from 0 to 1900 m. The plant occurs in California to British Colombia and Central Canada south to Texas." USDA plant profile
This lush plant was growing along the side of the road in Horseshoe Park, Rocky Mountain National Park.
Spotted on Jul 18, 2012
Submitted on Jul 19, 2012
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