Asclepias incarnata or swamp milkweed, is a great perennial wildflower for full sun gardens in zones 3-9. While swamp milkweed can handle boggy soils, it can grow in regular garden soil with occasional watering. Growing to around three feet tall, it is a good plant for middle of a border.
The soft pink to mauve blooms are bee and butterfly magnets. Don't be alarmed if you see caterpillars munching the leaves as this is a host plant for the amazing Monarch butterflies!
Here are the steps for collecting the seeds from asclepias incarnata. The same seed collection method will work with asclepias tuberosa.
Words and photos by Freda Cameron
