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Buy Asclepias syriaca

Also Known As

Common Milkweed
Virginia Silk

Plant type

perennial

size

H: 3'-5'
W: 1'-6'

planting zones

4a-9b

3.5" | $12

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39 at Secret Garden Growers

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Asclepias syriaca plant details

Asclepias syriaca is a broadleaf deciduous perennial with blue and green foliage. In spring and summer pink flowers emerge. Attracts bees and butterflies making it an excellent addition to pollinator gardens. Grows well with sun - mostly sun and regular - low water. Drought tolerant once established. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in alkaline, average, clay, gritty, rich, rocky and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant and humidity tolerant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Asclepias syriaca

Plant type: perennial
Plant family: apocynaceae
Foliage: deciduous blue and green
Mature size: 1 FT - 6 FT - wide, 3 FT - 5 FT - tall
Flowers: pink blooms in spring and summer
Uses: border plant, cottage garden, fragrant, native plant, showy

GROWING CONDITIONS for Asclepias syriaca

USDA Zones: 4a - 9b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly sun
Watering frequency: regular - low
Resistant to: deer and rabbit, heat and humidity
Soil needs: alkaline, average, clay, gritty, rich, rocky and well-drained

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Nursery contributed plant descriptions

Asclepias syriaca is an eastern North American classic best known as one of the major food sources for the caterpillars of monarch butterflies. It is also an important nectar source for monarchs and a wide range of other pollinators. It is a stoloniferous (spreading) perennial with thick, leathery leaves and intriguing clusters of fragrant, pink flowers in summer. Interesting seed pods open to reveal silky white seeds. Deer resistant.

By: Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants Ltd.

The large honey-fragrant clusters of dusty-rose flowers of this tough-but-pretty wildflower on their sturdy 3-4' stems are followed by the ethereal silk- tufted seeds. S/M-D

By: Forestfarm

Common milkweed's thick fleshy leaves provide plenty of nourishment for the caterpillar stage of the Monarch butterfly, whose yearly migration to Mexico for winter is near collapse, partly due to habitat loss. Fragrant flowers are thick and waxy and sweetly scented. They thrive in wet, yet freely drained soils, such as by ditches, and will spread by rhizomes. Easy to grow as well. Self sows.

By: Select Seeds

This favorite of the Monarch butterfly produces a profusion of sweet-scented lavender flowers in mid-summer. The caterpillars feast on the leaves, stocking up for the day when they will become butterflies and migrate to Mexico for the winter. Grows readily from seed, and thrives in almost any well-drained soil, even tough clay or dry sand. Spreads rapidly by rhizomes, and is best planted in large areas with other grasses and flowers. Grows two to four feet tall.?Hardy to Zones 3 - 8.

By: Prairie Nursery

Very possibly the most stunningly beautiful of all Milkweeds and the most fragrant! Adored by gardeners & Monarch butterflies alike, this species, native to much of the US, bears large 4” pinky-mauve spherical bloom clusters from early to mid-Summer that are powerfully & deliciously scented of lilacs & hyacinths. Un-branched in habit with strong upright stems 3-5’ tall, it also sports attention grabbing broad rich green foliage that creates a nice contrast against finer leaved plants. EASY, TOUGH, LONG LIVED, tolerant of drought & poor soil, this wonderful Milkweed attracts all manner of nectar seeking creatures including the beautiful Sphinx Moth. Deciduous in Winter, it spreads slowly by rhizomes which can be controlled by chopping the roots, or plant in an area where that’s not a concern or use as a thrilling container subject! Rich loamy soil for most outrageous show! Cut to ground in Winter.

By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

Garden photo gallery of Asclepias syriaca

Photo of Asclepias syriaca flower by Secret Garden Growers

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By: Secret Garden Growers

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Photo of Asclepias syriaca flower by Annie's Annuals & Perennials

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By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

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By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

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By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

By: J.G. in SF

By: J.G. in SF

By: J.G. in SF

By: J.G. in SF

By: J.G. in SF

By: Kristine Paulus

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

By: Alan Lorence

By: Alan Lorence

Gardening facts about Asclepias syriaca plant

How to Grow Asclepias syriaca

Sun Exposure
- sun - mostly sun
Water Needs
- regular - drought tolerant
Soil Needs
- clay
- alkaline
- adaptable
- average
- well-drained
- rich
- rocky
- gritty
Special Situation
- heat tolerant
- humidity tolerant