Asclepias quadrifolia
Jacq.
Whorled Milkweed
G5SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Raymond Cavender, CC BY-NC 4.0
Alan Wells, CC BY-NC 4.0
Alan Wells, CC BY-NC 4.0
botanygirl, CC BY 4.0
doug_mcgrady, CC BY-NC 4.0
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.129290
Element CodePDASC021K0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderGentianales
FamilyApocynaceae
GenusAsclepias
Other Common Names
Asclépiade à quatre feuilles (FR) fourleaf milkweed (EN) Fourleaf Milkweed (EN) Four-leaved Milkweed (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2023-09-19
Change Date1984-02-09
Edition Date2023-09-19
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2023).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) occurs in eastern North America, in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of the Interior Highlands of eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri and the Appalachians from Alabama and Georgia extending northeast into New York, Vermont and southern Ontario. There are estimated to be over 1300 occurrences, including on many National Forests and State Parks across its range, and also on National Parks and Wildlife Management Areas. Loss and fragmentation of habitat, and competition from invasive exotic plants are threats, but the impact overall from these threats is likely low. It is a food plant of the monarch butterfly caterpillar.
Range Extent Comments
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) occurs in eastern North America, in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of the Interior Highlands of eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri and the Appalachians from Alabama and Georgia extending northeast into New York, Vermont and southern Ontario. Range extent was estimated to be 1.6 million square kilometers, using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023 (GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, SEINet 2023, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023, it is estimated that there are more than 1300 occurrences of Whorled Milkweed rangewide (GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, SEINet 2023).
Threat Impact Comments
Loss and fragmentation of habitat, and competition from invasive exotic plants are threats, but the impact overall from these threats is likely low.
Ecology & Habitat
Habitat
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) occurs in moist to dry forests and forest margins, especially on mafic and calcareous substrates, but is not limited to these sites (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Ecology
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) is a food plant for the monarch butterfly caterpillar.
Reproduction
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) flowers in May and June and fruits in August and September (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest Edge
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN1
| Province | Rank | Native |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | S1 | Yes |
United StatesN5
| Province | Rank | Native |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | S3 | Yes |
| Iowa | S3 | Yes |
| Connecticut | SNR | Yes |
| North Carolina | S4 | Yes |
| Virginia | S5 | Yes |
| Missouri | SNR | Yes |
| Alabama | SNR | Yes |
| Massachusetts | SNR | Yes |
| Georgia | SNR | Yes |
| Arkansas | SNR | Yes |
| Kansas | S1 | Yes |
| New York | S5 | Yes |
| Ohio | SNR | Yes |
| Illinois | SNR | Yes |
| New Jersey | S3 | Yes |
| Oklahoma | SNR | Yes |
| Maryland | SNR | Yes |
| Indiana | S4 | Yes |
| Kentucky | S4 | Yes |
| Tennessee | SNR | Yes |
| Delaware | SH | Yes |
| Rhode Island | S1 | Yes |
| West Virginia | S5 | Yes |
| South Carolina | S2 | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | S5 | Yes |
| New Hampshire | S1 | Yes |
Threat Assessments
| Threat | Scope | Severity | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Residential & commercial development | Small (1-10%) | Serious or 31-70% pop. decline | High (continuing) |
| 1.1 - Housing & urban areas | Small (1-10%) | Serious or 31-70% pop. decline | High (continuing) |
| 8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Restricted (11-30%) | Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline | High (continuing) |
| 8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Restricted (11-30%) | Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline | High (continuing) |
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (54)
Alabama (1)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Mountain | Talladega National Forest | 4,986 |
Arkansas (7)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Brush Heap | Ouachita National Forest | 4,205 |
| Devils Canyon | Ozark-St. Francis National Forest | 1,877 |
| Dismal Creek | Ozark-St. Francis National Forest | 9,160 |
| Gee Creek | Ozark-St. Francis National Forest | 7,957 |
| Little Blakely | Ouachita National Forest | 3,342 |
| Pedestal Rocks | Ozark-St. Francis National Forest | 21,957 |
| Richland Creek | Ozark-St. Francis National Forest | 571 |
Georgia (7)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Boggs Creek | Chattahoochee National Forest | 2,073 |
| Helton Creek | Chattahoochee National Forest | 2,348 |
| Kelly Ridge | Chattahoochee National Forest | 8,325 |
| Lance Creek | Chattahoochee National Forest | 9,025 |
| Pink Knob | Chattahoochee National Forest | 12,127 |
| Tate Branch | Chattahoochee National Forest | 1,069 |
| Turner Creek | Chattahoochee National Forest | 1,495 |
Kentucky (1)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Wolfpen | Daniel Boone National Forest | 2,835 |
Missouri (1)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Big Creek Rare II Study Area | Mark Twain National Forest | 9,277 |
North Carolina (5)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Bearwallow | Pisgah National Forest | 4,113 |
| Big Indian (addition) | Nantahala National Forest | 1,155 |
| Chunky Gal (addition) | Nantahala National Forest | 3,336 |
| Craggy Mountain | Pisgah National Forest | 2,657 |
| Sharptop Ridge (addition) | Nantahala National Forest | 600 |
Tennessee (2)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Beaver Dam Creek | Cherokee National Forest | 5,070 |
| Stone Mountain | Cherokee National Forest | 5,367 |
Virginia (23)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek | Jefferson National Forest | 18,274 |
| Beards Mountain | George Washington National Forest | 7,505 |
| Beaver Dam Creek | Jefferson National Forest | 1,135 |
| Broad Run | Jefferson National Forest | 10,971 |
| Brush Mountain | Jefferson National Forest | 6,002 |
| Brush Mountain East | Jefferson National Forest | 4,916 |
| Crawford Mountain | George Washington National Forest | 9,892 |
| Elliott Knob | George Washington National Forest | 9,380 |
| Hunting Camp Little Wolf Creek | Jefferson National Forest | 8,953 |
| Jerkemtight | George Washington National Forest | 16,687 |
| Kelley Mountain | George Washington National Forest | 7,590 |
| Little River | George Washington National Forest | 27,292 |
| Little Walker Mountain | Jefferson National Forest | 9,818 |
| Long Spur | Jefferson National Forest | 6,417 |
| Mill Mountain | George Washington National Forest | 10,840 |
| North Mountain | Jefferson National Forest | 8,377 |
| Northern Massanutten | George Washington National Forest | 9,444 |
| Oak Knob | George Washington National Forest | 10,882 |
| Oliver Mountain | George Washington National Forest | 13,090 |
| Ramseys Draft Addition | George Washington National Forest | 12,781 |
| Skidmore | George Washington National Forest | 5,641 |
| Southern Massanutten | George Washington National Forest | 11,985 |
| Three Ridges | George Washington National Forest | 4,745 |
West Virginia (7)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Dolly Sods Roaring Plain | Monongahela National Forest | 13,392 |
| Dry River (WV) | George Washington National Forest | 7,331 |
| Little Allegheny Mountain | Monongahela National Forest | 10,514 |
| Marlin Mountain | Monongahela National Forest | 9,344 |
| Mcgowan Mountain | Monongahela National Forest | 10,504 |
| Middle Mountain | Monongahela National Forest | 19,020 |
| North Mountain Hopeville | Monongahela National Forest | 6,525 |
References (5)
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2023. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2023).
- iNaturalist. 2023. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2023).
- Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
- Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2023. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2023).
- Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2022. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 24, 2022. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2022 pp.