Description
Scientific name: Asclepias syriaca
Range: Keweenaw native
Light: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Soil: Sand, Loam, Clay
Moisture: Dry, Medium
Benefits: Pollinators, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Host Plant
Height: 2′-4′
Blooms: Jun, Jul, Aug
Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Color: Pink, Lavender
Spacing: 1′
Root: Rhizome
Monarch butterflies will only lay their eggs on milkweed plants. The larvae will feed on the leaves and then mature into a chrysalis. In addition, the flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and pollinators. Common milkweed is easy to grow and will usually bloom in its second year. It is ideal in semi-dry places where it can spread without knocking out other ornamental species. Got a horrible spot next to the driveway where nothing will grow? A weedy hellstrip? Common milkweed is your best friend.
Water as needed the first year to improve survival, and get plants into the ground early enough to develop enough roots to survive the winter.
