Pink Milkwort

Pink Milkwort (Polygala incarnata)

       The native Pink Milkwort or Procession Flower, is found from the central United States to the east coast. The small, beautiful, one fourth inch long, easily missed, purple or pinkish flowers have three petals which form a tube that subsequently diverge into six narrow petal-like lobes, found clustered at the end of the one to two foot tall stems.
      Blooming from spring to fall, the Pink Milkwort is found growing on prairies and in open wooded areas. From a distance, the stems of the Pink Milkwort appear leafless due to it's small, thin leaves.
       This species is endangered or threatened in many northern or mid-western states.
    The species in the Milkwort family were once thought to increase milk production in cows and nursing mothers.