Unique among milkweeds, Poke Milkweed grows in the shade. Aromatic in bloom, the spreading umbels with white to pink flowers weep downward on individual stems, reminiscent of fireworks. The elegant flowers give way to beautiful elongated seed pods …
Unique among milkweeds, Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) grows in the shade. Aromatic in bloom, the spreading umbels with white to pink flowers weep downward on individual stems, reminiscent of fireworks. The elegant flowers give way to beautiful elongated seed pods. Native to the woodlands of the Midwest and Eastern U.S., Poke Milkweed is taller than its prairie and savanna cousins, reaching five feet or more, and the leaves can be quite large as well. Moderate moisture with good organic content in partial shade is optimal. Once established, the deep taproot will make it very difficult to transplant successfully, so it's best planted where it will be happy, and left undisturbed. Poke Milkweed is rare in parts of it's range and has been known to hybridize with Common Milkweed when the plants occur in close proximity.
Native plants can be grown outside of their native range in the appropriate growing conditions. This map shows the native range, as well as the introduced range, of this species.
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Will this plant do well near black walnuts? (Is it juglone tolerant?)
Thanks for the question. Poke Milkweed is not known to be juglone tolerant and we can't recommend planting it under black walnut trees. Plant tolerance under and around black walnut trees can depend on soil drainage to a large degree. Fewer plant species are able to tolerate the conditions under black walnuts in slow draining clay soils. Plants will fare better if the soil is well drained.
Will this plant do well planted in acidic soil under the shade of pine trees?
Asclepias exaltata grows in a range of soil types, but is best planted in soil that is rich in organic matter, as often found in the eastern hardwood forest environment. While it could survive there, the chance of plant failure is more likely in an acidic pine forest environment. If you should decide to try it at some point, the initial planting might not appear to be doing well, and the plant could take a while to "get going", with a longer establishment period. "Will it do well...?" It's hard to say for sure, but probably not.
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