Asclepias incarnata

Slender, willow-like leaves are a major food source for Monarch butterfly caterpillars. Adult butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds adore the vanilla-scented, rose colored blooms which adorn the plant from mid to late summer.

Swamp Milkweed grows best in moist to wet areas, but will tolerate average garden soil. Plants spread slowly and are not aggressive like many other milkweed species. Deer and rabbit resistant.

Zones: 3 to 6
Family: Apocynaceae
Type: Perennial
Height: 36 to 48 in.
Width: 24 to 36
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Conditions: Medium to Wet
Bloom Time: July to August
Bloom Color: Pink
Native Range: northeastern and southeastern United States

Image Credits:

• Image 1 (blooms) Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Image 2 (Monarch butterfly) Andrew C, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Image 3 (monarch caterpillars) Ali McEnhill at the Old Dairy
• Image 4 (ladybug chasing aphids) Ali McEnhill at the Old Dairy