Milkweed
Asclepias spp.
- Plant type
- forb
- Settings
- Disturbed ground, Rangeland
- Risk
- High risk Our rating from the cited sources.
- Review
- Not yet reviewed by a veterinarian.
Photos
Planned.
How to tell it
Milky juice oozes from any broken part; greenish-white flowers in umbrella-like clusters; leaves narrow or broad; 1.5 to 3 ft tall (ARS).
Look-alikes: Planned.
What to do on a site walk
- Fence off or remove from pens and bed grounds.
- Check hay.
Why it matters
- Toxic principle
- Cardiac glycosides (cardenolides)
- Toxic parts
- Leaves and stems, green or dry
- Basis for our rating
- Chewgrass rating. ARS: as little as 30 to 100 g of leaves from toxic species can kill a sheep. Cornell lists goats.
Signs in goats
Depression, weakness, staggering, labored breathing, dilated pupils, irregular pulse, seizures (ARS).
If you think an animal has been poisoned, call your vet right away.
Season
Toxic at all stages; often eaten in pens or in hay when feed is short (ARS).
Sources
Links last checked: 2026-10-31