Asclepias incarnata
(Swamp Milkweed)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Common Name, Latin Name, and Family

Swamp milkweed, pink milkweed and rose milkweed.

Its Latin name is Asclepias incarnata.

Swamp milkweed is in the Apocynaceae, or dogbane, family. 

Form

Swamp milkweed is a perennial wildflower that grows to a height of about 3 feet.

Leaves

The leaves are opposite with entire margins.  They are stalked and are oblong to linear-lanceolate in shape.  If broken the leaves exude a milky sap.

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Flowers

The pink flowers appear in umbels at the end of the plant stalks.  Flowering occurs in the summer and fall.

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Habitat

Swamp milkweed grows in moist areas such as wet woods, stream banks, lake margins, drainage ditches and wet fence rows.

Native Range

Swamp milkweed is native to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Landscape Use

In the home landscape it grows in full sun with average to moist soils. It needs a good source of sunlight in order for it to produce flowers, and constant moisture to keep it thriving.

swamp milkweed asclepias incarnata being grown in a container
swamp milkweed being grown in a container

Wildlife Uses

The flowers are a source of nectar for many insects including bees, beetles, butterflies, flies, and wasps.

The foliage, and seed pods, are larval food for the monarch, queen, and soldier butterflies.

Propagation

Can be grown easily from seed and transplanted when small. 

It can also be propagated by cuttings.

Volunteers may come up in your green space if you miss the seeds and they get blown about by the wind. I would suggest growing them in a pot until they flower and then you can be sure of the species.

I have pre cold stratified (and ready to plant) seeds for sale –

Swamp Milkweed Seeds (Asclepias incarnata) ✤ 30 Cold Stratified Seeds

Mail Order Natives sells some gorgeous swamp milkweed plants and my last ones were purchased from them.  They have great quality and reasonable shipping charges.

Check out my article about every native milkweed in Florida here!

It has every native species and a range map for each one.

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