Color of flowers: rose to purple Blooms: May - August Attracts the following pollinators: monarch butterflies esp., bees
Distribution (where they occur): banks and floodplains of lakes and ponds, forest margins, fields, clearings, wastelands Sunlight: full sun Soil moisture level: ideally semi-dry Adapted to the following soil types: well-drained soil Soil pH range of tolerance: 4.8 - 6.8
Where/how to plant: in sandy, clayey, or rocky calcareous soil; plant 36 to 48 inches apart as they can grow to 3 feet tall - We recommend that you plant this species in its native habitat, or conditions that mimic its native habitat Management: burn milkweed in the fall to eliminate dead stalks and spur renewed growth
Notes: this is the only plant on which monarch butterflies will lay their eggs; spreads underground root systems so it can be invasive
DANGER: parts of this plant are poisonous if ingested
References “Asclepias Species, Common Milkweed, Butterfly Flower, Silkweed, Virginian Silkweed: Asclepias Syriaca.” Dave's Garden, MH Sub I, LLC Dba Internet Brands., davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/40130.
Elliman, Ted, and New England Wild Flower Society. Wildflowers of New England. Timber Press, 2016.
Levine, Carol. A Guide To Wildflowers in Winter: Herbaceous Plants of Northeastern North America. Yale University Press, 1995.
“Milkweed Asclepias Fact Sheet.” UConn Home & Garden Education Center, The University of Connecticut, www.ladybug.uconn.edu/FactSheets/asclepias-milkweeds.php.
“Plants Profile for Asclepias Syriaca (Common Milkweed).” PLANTS Database, United States Department of Agriculture: Natural Resources Conservation Service, plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ASSY.