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Botanical name: Asclepias incarnata
A wonderful selection for attracting butterflies to garden beds and rain gardens; this upright selection features clusters of rosy-pink, fragrant flowers and green narrow foliage; a compact variety that is easy to grow, needing little to no maintenance.
Other names: Butterfly Weed
| Hardiness zone | 2a |
|---|---|
| Flower color | fuchsia |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | upright spreading |
| Mature height | 3 feet (4 feet with the flowers) |
| Spread | 32 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to wet |
| Plant origin | North American native |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Swamp Milkweed has fuchsia flat-top flowers with rose overtones at the ends of the stems from mid summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain grayish green in color throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Swamp Milkweed is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Swamp Milkweed is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens, Bog Gardens
Swamp Milkweed will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 32 inches. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided. This species is native to parts of North America.
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