Swamp Milkweed
asclepias incarnata

days to maturity:
plant spacing: 1 plant per 6 square feet
sunlight requirements: 6-14 hours
look out for: beetles
harvest notes: prune for wanted shape
season: fall, winter, spring, summer
perennial

Asclepias incarnata is well know as Swamp milkweed and is one of the milkweeds that are usually highly preferred by the Monarch butterflies. Other common names include Rose Milkweed, Rose Milkflower, or Swamp Silkseed. Adult female Monarchs will readily lay their eggs on this plant. Queen butterflies may also use Swamp milkweed as a host plant. As well as being a host plant, Asclepias incarnata is also a great nectar source and attracts many other kinds of butterflies. Swamp milkweed is well behaved in the garden and will grow in clumps rather than invasively spreading around with far-reaching underground rhizomes. It is a common addition to butterfly gardens as it is useful and pretty at the same time. Swamp milkweed can vary greatly in height anywhere from 2-6 ft but is probably most commonly seen around 3-4 ft tall. They will die back in the fall to return from the ground in the spring.