Swamp Milkweed Other Common Names: Pink Milkweed Scientific Name: Asclepias incarnata Native to Alabama: Yes Other common milkweed species: Butterfly Milkweed, Common Milkweed, Whorled Milkweed
	Wikimedia - peganum Click on image to enlarge it

 

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Basic Plant Information
	I am a vascular plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous. I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous. I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial. I can grow 3 - 5 feet high and 2 - 3 feet wide.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Peggy Romfh Click on image to enlarge it

 
























 

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Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:
Butterflies	Caterpillars	Native Bees	Hummingbirds
	Monarch, Queen

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)		White Milkweed (Asclepias variegata)		Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis)
Pinewoods Milkweed (Asclepias humistrata)		Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)		Eastern Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
Swamp Forest Milkweed/ Aquatic Milkweed (Asclepias perennis)		Tropical/Scarlet Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)

 
  

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Maintenance Notes
Dormant in winter. Plant can spread aggressively. Flowers can be cut for an indoor vase. Plant will likely get aphids which can be left on the plant for ladybugs to eat. If aphids become a problem, refer to our Tips to Control Aphids on Milkweed document. Collect seeds in late fall for propagation.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds.  Water should reach all roots. Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves. Requires average amount of water.
Average watering: water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

 

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Habitat Requirements
This plant prefers:
Full Sun (6+ hours of sun per day) Part Sun/Shade (2 - 6 hours of sun per day)		Average Watering	Loamy, Clay, Acidic, or Moist Soil

 

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Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification
LEAF DESCRIPTION				Minnesota Wildflowers - Katy Chayka Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (JPG)
Shape: Lanceolate	Margin: Entire/Smooth	Arrangement: Opposite	Form: Simple
Description:
Long and narrow green, hairless leaves; 2.75-6 inches long and 0.5-1 inch wide; tapering to a point

       

FLOWER DESCRIPTION						Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Joseph A. Marcus Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shapes Chart (JPG)
Color: Light Pink/Light Purple, Magenta, or Red			Shape:          Stellate          (star-shaped)		Bloom Months: June - Oct
Description:
Individual flowers are 0.25 inches across with 4-5 petals per flower; form clusters up to 2-3 inches wide; crown of flower has 5 parts with a curved horn sticking out above each part

  

SEED DESCRIPTION			Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center  Julie Makin Click on image to enlarge it
Type: Fruit - Dry Seed Pod	Description: Follicle is 3-4 inches long and splits on one side to release brown seeds, each with silky tufts	Months in Seed: Fall
Plant spreads by:
Seeds and Rhizomes/ Tubers/ Roots & Shoots Silky-haired seeds are dispersed by wind; underground rhizomes spread and create new clumps of plants

 

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Plant Life Cycle
Plant Life Cycle: All plants start life as a seed. The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots. The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground. After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers. After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed. When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again. Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.	General Plant Life Cycle  Click on image to enlarge it

 

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

 

Quick Fact Sheet (Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign: Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign: Editable Word Doc

QR Code (Links to this Webpage)

  

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INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THIS PLANT

 

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Plant Database		USDA Plants Database
Alabama Plant Atlas		Alabama Butterfly Atlas
Missouri Botanical Garden		Minnesota Wildflowers
North Carolina Entension Gardener Plant Toolbox		American Meadows

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