You are welcome to visit the
Native Plant of the Week
at 4020 Dunston Avenue.
The featured plant will be in the front yard
and will be marked.
Common Name: Swamp Milkweed
Scientific Name: Asclepias incarnata
General Description: Clump-forming perennial that reaches 4-5 feet in height. Long, narrow leaves are relatively sparse along the lower half of the stem. Multiple branches form near the top of the stem and produce large clusters of small pink flowers. Excellent in flower arrangements!
Habitat: Swamp milkweed grows best in full sun/part shade. It requires moist soil; but unlike many ornamental plants can tolerate clay soils. This makes swamp milkweed perfect for an area with poor drainage.
Swamp milkweed occurs naturally in wet meadows and along the edges of ponds and streams as pictured above.
Additional information: All native members of the milkweed family deliver exceptional wildlife value. In addition to attracting bees and butterflies, swamp milkweed flowers also attracts hummingbirds. The genus name, Asclepias, is derived from the Greek god of medicine due to the long history of treating health problems with members of the milkweed family.
Milkweed plants also have tough, fibrous stems that were used by Native Americans to make twine and rope.
” If half the American lawns were replaced with naitve plants, we could create the equivalent of a 20 million acre national park – nine times bigger than Yellowstone, or 100 times bigger than the Shenandoah National Park.” Doug Tallamy
Reedy Creek Coalition 