Asclepias syriaca
Common Milkweed
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Common Milkweed is a wildlife-friendly perennial. The large, thick leaves are light green with red veins. Rounded clusters of fragrant,...
Description:
Common Milkweed is a wildlife-friendly perennial. The large, thick leaves are light green with red veins. Rounded clusters of fragrant, pinkish-purple flowers bloom June-August. Large, bumpy seed pods split open when ripe to release silky, wind-dispersed seeds. The seed pods are used in dried floral arrangements. This plant’s nectar is a food source for butterflies, native bees, bumblebees, and honeybees. Common Milkweed is an important nectar source and larval (caterpillar) host plant for Monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterflies. The leaves and stems have a milky sap, which contains cardiac glycosides. When ingested by Monarch butterfly larvae feeding on the leaves, the cardiac glycosides make them (and the adult butterflies) toxic to birds and other predators. Common Milkweed grows well in poor, dry soils. It spreads by self-seeding and rhizomes (underground stems) to form colonies. This plant is best used in wildlife gardens, meadows, and other naturalized areas.
Plant Details:
Plant Type: Flower, Perennial
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer, Summer
Bloom Colors: Pink, Purple
Deer Resistance: High
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Bees and Other Pollinators, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Salt Tolerance: Low to None
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Grows in Special Ecoregions: Barrier Island/Coastal, Pinelands
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Sandy, Clay
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic, Neutral
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Full Sun
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Dry
Drought Tolerance: High
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 4 - 5 ft
Spread: 2 - 3 ft
Growth Rate: Medium