Asclepias incarnata

Swamp Milkweed is a beautiful wildflower species that can grow up to 1.5 m tall and spreads about 0.5 m. The leaves are light green coloured, narrow, lance shaped, and oppositely arranged. The flowers are showy, aromatic, bright pink, appear in clusters on flowering stems, and bloom between July and August. The flowers give way to large, long and narrow, brown seed pods, which produce an abundance of seeds with tufts of long, white hairs. The flowers are beneficial to pollinator species, like bees and butterflies. As with all Milkweeds, the stem exudes a milky sap when broken, however the sap of the Swamp Milkweed is less milky than other species. This sap contains glycoside, which is toxic and used by insects, including caterpillars of the endangered Monarch Butterfly, to deter predators.

Swamp Milkweed grows in moist to wet conditions with full or partial sun exposure. It prefers rich loam, clay, or humus soil types. It is tolerant of periodically flooded areas. This wildflower is naturally found in wet fields or meadows, around swamps or marshes, in bogs, and along river or lake shorelines.

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Scientific Name: Asclepias incarnata
Type: Ground Cover
Height: 1.5 m
Spread: 0.5 m
Moisture Level: moist, wet
Light Conditions: full sun, part sun
Soil Conditions: clay, loam
Zone (Hardiness of Canada):