Rose Milkweed (Asclepius incarnata)
Perennial
Seed Count: 50-60 seeds
Days to Germinate: 30 days of cold, moist stratification. See: Winter Sowing & Stratification
Depth to Sow: 1/4"
Seed Spacing: When seedlings are 2" high, thin to 1' apart
Color: rosy pink
Height: up to 4'
Bloom Time: June - August
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Soil Moisture: Wet to medium soil
Soil Type: Moist, wet soil. One of the few ornamentals that thrve in mucky clay soil, but can also tolerate dry conditions.
Attracts: Monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, bumblebees, honeybees
Natural Habitat: Wet meadows, prairies, fileds, swamps and marshes
Drought Tolerance: High
Deer Resistance: High
Larval Host: Monarch butterfly
Native Zone: AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY
Pure Live Seed (PLS) Viability Value: 83%
Description:
Rose Milkweed is also commonly called Red Milkweed, Marsh Milkweed, or Swamp Milkweed. That lovely vanilla fragrance you detect coming from large rosy pink flowers (possibly hosting several Monarch caterpillars!) is Rose Milkweed. This deer-resistant plant grows best in moist areas but will tolerate average soils, and blooms for about a month mid-summer. Later, large slender pods form which will break open to reveal seeds that will float away in the wind.
Help save the Monarch butterfly by planting Rose/Swamp Milkweed. This is a beautiful plant in your home garden. Monarch's love them and lay their eggs on the leaves.