Master Gardeners- What's this? PIC

[krcote]

We bought our house in Feb. and have and the pleasure of guessing all of our mystery perennials as they sprout up. We have never seen this one before... what is it?
Thanks!

 

[krcote]

Forgot to mention: We are located in zone 5-6, everything grew from a single big ugly root deep in soil and currently she stands about waist high.

 

[chicnfarmer]

Milkweed. It is a native plant. If you break any part of the plant it will ooze sticky, milky white sap. Monarch butterflies eat it.

 

[lostsoulhelpmejebus]

Quote:Spot on!!!

 

[sonew123]

weeds to me I cut them down-We get overrun with them-monarch inchworms looove them so wait until they form a crysalis and pluck it off and put in a large jar with holes on top and you can watch them hatch into a bueatiful butterfly

 

[Stina]

Milkweed is why monarch butterflies are toxic to predators....the toxins come from the milkweed! I think its a pretty attractive plant and we used to have a ton of them along one side of the yard at a past home....I was a kid at the time and it was always fun to go out and find the caterpillars and chrysalises (sp???...lol)...and of course the butterflies themselves!

 

[Imp]

That's beautiful. I've never seen it before.
I got some seeds from another BYCer recently, going into the ground this weekend.

Imp- Hope it grows here.

 

[krcote]

The only strange thing is that there was no leaking of sticky, milky, white goo when I accidentally injured a few of the stalks and leaves... is there a possibility it is very similar to a milkweed and is in fact something else?

ETA: I just found out there are 60 species of milkweed! This one is likely just a variety I haven't seen before, or in a stage I hadn't seen/noticed before- thanks guys