You can identify milkweed species based on their location in the state, leaf shape, flower color, and other hints.
Milkweeds are a very important group of plants for pollinators, especially for the monarch butterfly. There are 12 species of milkweeds in Wyoming - though three of those are rare. Part of the goal for this program is to find out which species, if not all of them, provide the monarch caterpillar with its critical food source. Milkweeds are often considered a weedy species and are targeted for spraying in pastures and along ditches. However, they are important assets to monarchs, and do great in garden settings!