I found this beautiful milkweed blooming in Claude Moore Park on Friday; the first blooms I’ve seen this spring.

Lately I’ve been challenging myself to learn more about plants. I know it’s milkweed, but what kind? I consulted my Native Plants for Northern Virginia, and of what they had listed it looks closest to Asclepias incarnata, Swamp Milkweed. But the color of the flowers are deeper and richer than what’s in the book. Could it be purple milkweed?

Whatever it is, it’s beautiful, and I can’t wait to see more of them in bloom.

Updated: I shared this on facebook and received an answer from Claude Moore Park Manager Dodie Lewis: “Becca it’s purple milkweed, Asclepias purpurascens. It’s uncommon. Let me know where you found it. Your mom found it once. When she went back to look for it again to note where it was growing she couldn’t find it again. We believe the deer had eaten the flowers and she couldn’t recognize the plant again. I was thinking about looking for it recently. How perfect that you are the one who found it!”

I did go back, and located 5 plants, and Dodie was able to find them too!