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Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Family: Apocynaceae
Plant Characteristics: Tall upright herbaceous perennial 2–6 feet or more in height with large oblong green leaves and showy rounded clusters of fragrant lavender flowers. Weedy growth habit; Spreads rapidly by rhizomes and can form extensive colonies.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3–9
Bloom Period: Summer (June–August)
Growing Conditions: Prefers full sun and medium to dry, well-drained soils. Tolerant of poor soils and drought.
Attracts: Very attractive to butterflies, bees, and other insect pollinators, as well as hummingbirds.
Notes: As its name implies, this native perennial is one of the most widespread and common encountered milkweeds in our region and a key larval host resource for the monarch. Regularly found along roadsides, fencerows, woodland borders, and in old fields and prairies, it is an aggressive colonizer of disturbed sites, spreading by both underground rhizomes and airborne seed. Common Milkweed is very easy to grow and fast to establish. The plant is tolerant of poor soils, drought, and neglect. Despite its weedy habit, it is a worthy addition to gardens and larger naturalized or wild spaces, adding unique texture and interest. A profuse bloomer, the large rounded flower clusters perfume the air with a delightful fragrance and are exceptionally attractive to butterflies, sphinx moths, beetles, bees, and many more insect pollinators. Later in the season, the flowers give rise to large, elongated, and somewhat spiny seedpods that split open at maturity to release copious amounts of silky-tufted seeds that spread by the wind. Deer resistant. Easy to propagate by seed.
