Common Milkweed - This Land

Common Milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

[ as-KLEE-pee-us seer-ee-AY-kuh ]

● Available Now Perennial/Forb

Growing Conditions

Light ☀ Full Sun
Height ▲ 3–5 ft
Moisture 💧 Dry–Medium
Soil ◎ Average to poor, well-drained loam, clay, sand or rocky; deep taproot
Bloom ❀ Summer
Color Pink to rose-purple, fragrant

Wildlife Value & Uses

Primary monarch larval host in the Northeast; also milkweed tussock moth; fragrant nectar has special value to native and bumble bees; seed for songbirds
Traditional food (boiled young shoots buds pods) and stem fiber for cordage; seed floss used for pillows and WWII life vests. Caution: milky sap has cardiac glycosides — toxic raw; can irritate skin

Part of These Collections

Meadow Starter Kit Native Bees Monarch Waystation

Sources & References

USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS Plant Guide, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, NC Extension Gardener, Flora of Pennsylvania, Ernst Seeds, Monarch Watch

Last updated: September 9, 2026

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