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Common Milkweed in the GardenTags plant encyclopedia

Asclepias syriaca

 

Common Milkweed

Asclepias syriaca is a perennial that grows from rhizomes with simple leaves, and the plant exudes white latex from broken or cut stems.In Summer it bears spherical heads of fragrant mauve-pink flowers that are very attractive to bees and butterflies. In Autumn the soft and spiny green seed-pods that look like green parrots - giving rise to the common name of "Green Parrot" - burst open, revealing seeds covered in silky hairs. The plants are the food-source for the Monarch butterfly.

 
plant Features
  • Common Milkweed likes full sun to partial shade

    Full sun to partial shade

  • Common Milkweed likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

  • Common Milkweed is frost hardy: 23f (-5°c)

    Frost Hardy: 23F (-5°C)

  • Common Milkweed likes light and free draining

    Light and free draining

 
plant information

Common name

Common Milkweed

Latin name

Asclepias syriaca

type

Perennial

family

Apocynaceae

ph

4.8 - 6.5 Acid - Neutral

  • Light

    Common Milkweed likes full sun to partial shade

    Full sun to partial shade

  • Frost

    Common Milkweed is frost hardy: 23f (-5°c)

    Frost Hardy: 23F (-5°C)

  • Soil

    Common Milkweed likes light and free draining

    Light and free draining

  • Water

    Common Milkweed likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

Plant & bloom calendar

  •  
    Best time to plant
  •  
    When the plant will bloom

full grown dimensions

The size of a fully grown Common Milkweed is 1.00meters x 1.00meters 1.00 M 1.00 M

Asclepias syriaca

Asclepias syriaca is a perennial that grows from rhizomes with simple leaves, and the plant exudes white latex from broken or cut stems.In Summer it bears spherical heads of fragrant mauve-pink flowers that are very attractive to bees and butterflies. In Autumn the soft and spiny green seed-pods that look like green parrots - giving rise to the common name of "Green Parrot" - burst open, revealing seeds covered in silky hairs. The plants are the food-source for the Monarch butterfly.


Planting

From Early Spring TO Mid Spring

These plants have a long tap-root, and because if this they don't transplant easily. The best chance of a survival rate when transplanting is to do it in Spring. Generally speaking, though, it is better to sow in situ, to avoid the need to transplant. Sow in a sunny sheltered site.

 

Propagating by seed

From Early Spring TO Mid Spring

Sow in Spring in situ - in a sunny, sheltered site. The seeds can be sown in Autumn, but need a chilling period first (three weeks or so in the fridge would suffice)

 

Flowering

From Early Summer TO Late Summer

Milkweed - both the leaves and flowers -is the food source for monarch butterflies, and as such is an important plant for anyone interested in supporting the monarch butterfly population. The flowers appear in Summer

 
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