Endangered
Description
The Pink Milkwort is a very slender annual plant with a single, unbranched or sparingly branched stem that reaches up to 40 centimetres tall. It has only a few small, narrow alternately arranged leaves. Pink or rose-coloured flowers grow in dense clusters in the summer.
Action we are taking:
Range
This plant’s North American range extends from Long Island, New York, west to Iowa and south to Florida and Texas. It is most abundant in the Carolinas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
In Canada, Pink Milkwort is found only in southwestern Ontario on Walpole Island First Nation and around Windsor.
Habitat
Pink Milkwort grows in moderately moist to dry, sandy, prairie habitats, where it is often found growing with Little Bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium). Periodic fire is important to maintain open prairie conditions.
Threats
The main threats to Pink Milkwort are habitat destruction (from urbanization and agriculture) and natural succession, where trees and shrubs grow in previously open areas and outcompete prairie plants. An additional threat is invasive plants such as Black Locust, White Sweet Clover and European Common Reed.
Protection
Pink Milkwort is protected under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act and the federal Species at Risk Act.
What You Can Do to the Pink Milkwort
- The Ministry of Natural Resources tracks species at risk such as Pink Milkwort. You can use a handy online form to report your sightings to the Natural Heritage Information Centre. Photographs with specific locations or mapping coordinates are always helpful. nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca
- Report any illegal activity related to plants and wildlife to 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667).
- Private land owners have a very important role to play in species at risk recovery. If you find Pink Milkwort on your property, you may be eligible for stewardship programs that support the protection and recovery of species at risk and their habitats.
- Volunteer with your local nature club or provincial park to participate in surveys or stewardship work focused on species at risk.
- The Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program is available to farmers registered under the Canada-Ontario Environmental Farm Plan to encourage greater protection and conservation of habitat for species at risk. Find more information at www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/environment/efp/efp.htm.
- Pink Milkwort and many other species at risk depend on healthy grassland prairies, a very rare habitat in Ontario. Learn more about these habitats, the species that depend on them, and what you can do to help at www.tallgrassontario.org.
- Pollinators, such as bees, are in steep decline across the globe and they play a key role in the survival of many of Ontario’s rare plants. For information on how you can help scientists monitor pollinator populations in Ontario visit: www.seeds.ca/proj/poll.
- Invasive species seriously threaten many of Ontario’s species at risk. To learn what you can do to help reduce the threat of invasive species, visit: ontario.ca/invasivespecies ; www.invadingspecies.com ; www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca ; and, www.invasivespecies.gc.ca .
Did you know?
Plants in the milkwort family were once thought to increase milk production in cows and nursing mothers.
Did you know?
Fire plays an important role in maintaining open prairie habitat where Pink Milkwort lives. Fire actually stimulates the growth of these hardy flowers and naturally removes trees and shrubs that would otherwise overtake its habitat.
Did you know?
Pink Milkwort flowers are pollinated primarily by bumblebees, which have been in steep decline around the world.
Did you know?
The tiny, hairy seeds of the Pink Milkwort are possibly dispersed by ants.
Contact your local ministry office
Often the best source of local information on species at risk is your nearest ministry office. Call with your questions or concerns.
