common milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
MBG Plant of Merit 2021
USDA zones3 to 8
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size3 to 5 feet tall12 to 24 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Bloom color
- Pink to mauve
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is a perennial for pollinator gardens, meadows, and naturalized areas. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist soil of most types. It is a major food source for monarch caterpillars, and its fragrant pink flowers open in summer. It spreads by underground stems, so give it room. It is not a favorite of deer, though hungry deer will eat almost anything.
Pairs well with Prairie Sun rudbeckia, Indian grass, and Nodding onion.
Native range
North America.