Dig into Plants: Swamp Milkweed

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

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BASIC INFORMATION

ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS

MAINTENANCE NOTES

HABITAT REQUIREMENTS

LEAF, FLOWER & SEED ID

PLANT LIFE CYCLE

Basic Plant Information

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Peggy Romfh

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.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies

Caterpillars
Monarch,
Queen

Native Bees

Hummingbirds

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)

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.

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

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

Minnesota Wildflowers – Katy Chayka

LEAF DESCRIPTION

Long and narrow green, hairless leaves; 2.75-6 inches long and 0.5-1 inch wide; tapering to a point

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Lanceolate	Margin: Entire/Smooth

Arrangement: Opposite	Form: Simple

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Joseph A. Marcus

FLOWER 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.

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: Light Pink/Light Purple, Magenta, or Red	Shape: Stellate (star-shaped)	Bloom Months: June – Oct

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Julie Makin

SEED DESCRIPTION

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


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 – Winter

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 – Dreamstime

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Ready as-is PDF

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Editable Word Doc

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Editable Word Doc

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