Milkweed, Swamp/Rose
Asdepias incarnata, also known as Swamp Milkweed or Rose Milkweed, is a perennial wildflower native to Michigan and the UP. This delightful pollinator and butterfly plant can reach 4 feet tall and flowers from June to August with a pink-red cluster of blossoms.
It prefers full sun to partial shade, medium to wet soil and will grow in muck, clay, loam or sand. Swamp Milkweed does well in regular garden soil with water during drought.
Have you been told that milkweed is aggressive? While Common Milkweed and Whorled Milkweed are healthy spreaders, Swamp Milkweed does not spread by rhizome. It makes a vase-shaped clump, adding new stems each year.
In addition to providing nectar for butterflies, moths, and pollinators, Swamp Milkweed serves as a host plant for Monarch butterfly caterpillars and other beneficial insects. It is used by hummingbirds, and the fibers from stems are sought by Northern Orioles and many other birds as nest material. Swamp Milkweed is one of the most heavily used butterfly species in our garden. It is one of my favorites, is native to the UP, and is a garden must-have!