Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

PLANT INFORMATION:

Plant Size: CP32

Name: Swamp Milkweed – Asclepias incarnata

Type: Perennial Flower

Growth Characteristics  Swamp milkweed can grow up to 5 feet tall and spread 2 to 3 feet wide.  The attractive pink to rose-purple flowers mature in mid-spring and last into early fall. The seed pods split open to release seeds that float on the wind.  Grows erect in clumps.  Plant 3-6 feet apart.  Moderate growth rate and is low maintenance.

Hardiness: Climate zone 3-9

Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Water Needs:  Keep moist in the summer for the first year until established, then it is drought tolerant.

Soil Preference:  It is native to wet sites but adapts to drier sites in moist clay or loam soils. Prefers neutral to acidic soils.

DISEASE, PEST, AND DEER RESISTANCE

It is resistant to browsing by deer and rabbits. No significant disease problems. Most common milkweed pests (aphids, milkweed beetles, Monarch larvae, and milkweed tussock moth larvae) are not problematic, but both large and small milkweed bugs can be very damaging to seed pods.

SITE CONSIDERATIONS

Use as an accent or border in a meadow, native, or pollinator garden. It will be at home in a naturalized area or along a pond or stream where it naturally tends to grow.

Value to Wildlife and Insects

Milkweed is an important food source for Monarch butterfly caterpillars, and the flowers are visited by many pollinators.

ADDITIONAL FACTS UNIQUE TO THE SPECIES (IF ANY)

Can be poisonous to humans, pets and livestock. Can cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weakness, lethargy, and confusion if eaten in quantity. Milky sap can cause contact dermatitis and eye irritation.