Milkwort

Milkwort (Polygala vulgaris) might not have the most endearing name. Still, it’s one of the stars of the early-fall summer show in Europe.

Heath Milkwort Flowers

Milkworts are perennial herbaceous plants that have a long history as medicinals. Common milkwort is a plant of the Polygala genus in the Polygalaceae family.

Blue Milkwort Flowers

It contains a total of 22 accepted species[1]. In its areas of origin, milkwort can be found in hummocks, riverbanks, pastures, and meadows.

Pink Milkwort Flowers

Milkworts are small plants that are only 4 to 10 inches tall. It produces numerous long, smooth stems emerging from a basal rosette.

Pink Milkwort

The flowers are usually dark-blue to light-blue, but they can also be pink, purple, and white. The flowers have small petals surrounded by a pair of flat-top sepals that look like petals.

Polygala Vulgaris

The entire flower is reminiscent of a pea flower with tubular upper petals and fused keel. Still, it isn’t related to the family. The thin lanceolate leaves are alternately arranged on the stem and usually disappear from the lower plant during the flowering period.

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BioExplorer.net. (2024, March 28). Milkwort. Bio Explorer. https://www.bioexplorer.net/plants/flowers/milkwort/.
BioExplorer.net. "Milkwort" Bio Explorer, 28 March 2024, https://www.bioexplorer.net/plants/flowers/milkwort/.
BioExplorer.net. "Milkwort" Bio Explorer, March 28 2024. https://www.bioexplorer.net/plants/flowers/milkwort/.
Key References
  • [1]“Polygala – Genus Page – ISB: Atlas of Florida Plants”. Accessed December 01, 2021. Link.

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