butterfly plant seed pods Asclepias incarnata – Flower of Carolina

butterfly plant seed pods Asclepias incarnata – Flower of CarolinaSwamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Dogbane Family Deep pink flowers bloom in late summer when few other flowers are blooming. Swamp milkweed is an excellent nectar plant with a long bloom time, and even though swamp is in the name, it readily adapts to average soil conditions. This milkweed does not spread as aggressively as common milkweed, and is better suited for smaller gardens. Many different insects feed on milkweed plants, including monarch

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Dogbane Family

Deep pink flowers bloom in late summer when few other flowers are blooming. Swamp milkweed is an excellent nectar plant with a long bloom time, and even though ‘swamp’ is in the name, it readily adapts to average soil conditions. This milkweed does not spread as aggressively as common milkweed, and is better suited for smaller gardens. Many different insects feed on milkweed plants, including monarch caterpillars, milkweed bugs and beetles, and oleander aphids. Typically, none of these will kill a healthy plant, and removing them can do more harm than good.

Blooms: 2-4 weeks July-Sep
Leaves: 3-6”, lanceolate, simple
Height: 3-5’
Space: 2-3’
Soil: Average-Moist-Wet
Exposure:  Full Sun-Part sun-Part shade
Fauna: Host plant for Monarch butterfly, several species of moth, food plant for many milkweed beetle and bug species
Seeds: 3-4” long, elliptical shaped pods filled with numerous brown seeds connected to downy tufts of hair that float in the wind.
Deer Resistance: High
Zone:3-9
Native Status: NC native, common across the state
Provenance: North Carolina ecotype, seed grown