purple milkweed
Asclepias purpurascens
USDA zones4 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size2 to 3 feet tall1 to 3 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer
- Bloom color
- Rose-pink to purple
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) is a perennial for pollinator gardens, meadows, and naturalized areas. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Deer usually look elsewhere for a meal. Its rose-pink to purple flowers draw butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. The plant is drought tolerant, so it needs little care once settled.
Pairs well with Prairie dropseed, Sundrops, and Lemon Queen sunflower.
Native range
Central and eastern North America.