Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) is a striking wildflower known for its large, star-shaped pink flowers that cluster into fuzzy, spherical blooms with silvery, softly velvety leaves. Like all milkweeds, it produces the distinctive milky sap that gives the genus its name. Showy milkweed is both a nectar source for many insects and a host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars, providing essential habitat during their life cycle. Its fragrant blooms attract bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds throughout summer.