Asclepias Species, Swamp Milkweed, Rose Milkweed, Swamp Silkweed

On Jul 14, 2015, vitz wrote:

direct sown outside in mid/late may in pueblo west, co. . 1st germinators are now about 1.5' tall, w/ 'branches', and 'wooden' main stem bases. during the first few weeks, every single seedling (about a dozen, in an outside 'bed' of coconut coir and potting soil) got munched by something down to the last leaf. they all then spurted like mad and now seem to be left completely alone by any bug/pest. mine get full sun from dawn to about 3 p.m., light watering 2x/daily. looking forward to seeing the blooms. wondering if the plant produces something after the initial growth that repels bugs, etc.. seems easy to grow.

On Jun 15, 2013, Chillybean from (Zone 5a) wrote:

We bought some plugs last spring, along with a couple of other natives. They were decimated by Oleander Aphids last year, but have bounced back quite nicely this spring. Even with last year's drought. The other natives did not fair quite so well; there's no sign of them.

On Sep 5, 2011, mom4monarchs from Dover, DE wrote:

I have found swamp milkweed to be the easiest to grow of the milkweed varieties I've tried. The monarchs love it (and they desperately need our help). The only problem is that by August the leaves turn yellow and then drop on some plants. (Any advice would be appreciated). One tip for propagation is to cut off a stem, remove the leaves, cut it into 6 inch pieces and and put the pieces into pots. New leaves will appear within a few weeks - much faster than seeds.

On Apr 27, 2010, abbyschult from Saint Louis, MO wrote:

Question. I planted this last year and it did well. I am waiting for it to come up again and so far, nothing. it's 4/28/10. shouldn't something be appearing in the grass?

On Oct 14, 2009, Q734 from Allen Park, MI wrote:

This plant returns every year. I clip pods while green to control spread or use the sprouts to rear monarchs in pots. It gets about 3 feet high and at least as wide.

On Jul 28, 2009, kittysue from Fairborn, OH wrote:

I seeded these in my heavy clay soil. They wilt easily when not regularly watered. I water these daily now, unless there is a downpour, I even water when it rains. They bloom all year long.

On Nov 30, 2006, frostweed from Josephine, Arlington, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:

Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata is native to Texas and other States.

On Jan 16, 2006, Gabrielle from (Zone 5a) wrote:

Swamp Milkweed blooms are very pretty, but it is extremely susceptible to aphids. I plant mine in the back of my yard where it is there for butterflies, but the aphid-attacked plants won't be in full view.

I have read that it is hardy in zones 3-9.

Blooms June-August in my garden.

On Feb 11, 2005, ACHunter47 from Elmore, AL (Zone 8a) wrote:

I have grown Milkweed for two years. The Monarch caterpillars eat all of the leaves off of the plant. So, don't kill the caterpillars. My plants came back last year and bloomed again after the leaves were eaten. I had a couple of the caterpillars build their chrysalis on the side of my greenhouse. I took pictures of them at certain stages. It was very interesting and exciting to watch them develop into butterflys and fly away.

On Aug 31, 2003, suncatcheracres from Old Town, FL wrote:

I'm always happy to find a new plant for Monarchs, which are threatened in the wild. This entry gave me the interest to look this plant up in some books, and I found out it really likes wet conditions, which I have in Northcentral Florida, zone 8b, so I'll look for some seed to start plants next Spring. I'm at the bottom end of its range, but I'll try hard to find the right niche for it.

The pretty pink color should go nicely with my pink Brugmansias, and pink azaleas, and pink cannas and pink tiger lilies. Obviously I'm developing a pink bed, with a little cream and paler yellows thrown in for variety. This bed has a mixture of sun and shade, so I'll find a place for this pretty and useful plant. I read it grows three to five feet tall, so it would make a nice backgr... read moreound plant.

One of my books said there is also a more compact white variety of swamp milkweed called 'Ice Ballet'--to three and a half feet tall. That book also noted that swamp milkweed is a native plant to the US, unlike the scarlet milkweed, A. curassavica, which is from South America--scarlet milkweed is now happily growing all over my garden this summer. However, Monarchs will come to all milkweeds, the adults for flower nectar, and to the whole plant as fodder for their caterpillars.

Monarch habitat is diminishing, so any type of milkweed that will grow in your garden should be encouraged. I've tried to grow A. tuberosa, which likes drier conditions, but wasn't very successful. I'll probably try again in a raised bed for better drainage, with lots of sun, as it is also a native US milkweed with very bright flowers. 'Gay Butterflies' is yellow and red, and 'Hello Yellow' is of course bright yellow. For Western US gardens there is a California native with subtle white and cream flowers. Apparently there are lots of different kinds of Asclepias, so there should be one suitable for just about every garden where the Monarchs fly.

On Aug 12, 2001, poppysue from Westbrook, ME (Zone 5a) wrote:

This member of the milkweed family is a well-behaved garden plant. It forms a large clump and will not spread by runners like so many of its cousins. The flowers clusters are 2-4 inches across and have a nice fragrance. It prefers full sun and loves wet soils but it will also grow well in average garden soil.

It's a wonderful addition to a butterfly garden. The adults sip nector from the flowers and monarch butterflies use it as a host plant. The female will lay her eggs on the plant and the young caterpillars feed on the foliage.