Common Milkweed
Common Milkweed is the plant that often comes to mind when we hear the word "milkweed." This familiar milkweed has an upright form with large oval leaves and ball-shaped flower umbels. Visually bold and architectural, it contrasts well…
| Soil Type | Clay, Loam, Sand |
|---|---|
| Soil Moisture | Dry, Medium |
| Sun Exposure | Full Sun, Partial |
| Height | 2' - 4' |
| Bloom Color | Lavender, Pink |
| Bloom Time | June, July, Aug |
| Spacing | 1' |
| Zones | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| Root Type | Rhizome |
| Benefits | Birds, Butterflies, Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Host Plant |
| Seeds per Oz | 4000 |
| Propagation Treatment | Moist Stratification |
| Days to Moist Stratify | 10 days |
| Direct Sowing Time | Spring, Early Summer, Fall |
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is the plant that often comes to mind when we hear the word "milkweed." This familiar milkweed has an upright form with large oval leaves and ball-shaped flower umbels. Visually bold and architectural, it contrasts well with prairie grasses and numerous prairie wildflowers. The profusion of lavender-pink flowers in midsummer are extremely fragrant, and bloom over an extended period of time from mid to late summer. Many pollinators benefit from the prolific flowering of Common Milkweed. This is one of the easiest and fastest to establish of the milkweeds and it thrives in almost any well-drained soil. It produces plenty of seed, but it colonizes mainly via rhizomatous roots, and not the seeds.
Common Milkweed is a host plant for Monarch butterflies. Monarchs lay their eggs only on plants in the Asclepias genus, otherwise known as milkweeds. These plants help support and counter the increasing threats to a declining Monarch butterfly population.
