VANDERMEER

PLANT LIBRARY

Find the perfect plant for your space by browsing through this extensive selection that we typically carry every year.

This library is for information purposes only.

 
perennial

Common Milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

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Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) at Vandermeer Nursery

Common Milkweed flowers

Common Milkweed flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) at Vandermeer Nursery

Common Milkweed flowers

Common Milkweed flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Plant Height:  3 feet

Flower Height:  4 feet

Spread:  12 inches

Sunlight:  full sun 

Hardiness Zone:  3a

Other Names:  Butterfly Flower, Silkweed

Description:

This variety produces a profusion of sweet-scented shell pink flowers and is the mandatory food source for the caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly who feast on the leaves; best in well drained soil and spreads quickly by rhizomes; best in a large area

Ornamental Features

Common Milkweed features showy shell pink flat-top flowers at the ends of the stems from early to mid summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain grayish green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Common Milkweed is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

  • Spreading
  • Self-Seeding

Common Milkweed is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • General Garden Use
  • Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Common Milkweed will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Massing  Garden  Naturalizing 
Applications
Flowers  Attracts Wildlife 
Ornamental Features

** Plants listed may not be in stock at all times. **

Please contact us directly for current stock availability.
 
Our inventory varies seasonally and we cannot guarantee that every plant will be in stock at all times. To confirm if we have the plant that you're looking for, please call (905) 427-2525 or e-mail  us at info@vandermeernursery.com.
 
Remember, this library does not include our entire selection. Visit us year-round to check out varieties that may not be listed here!