Asclepias incarnata
(Red Milkweed, Rose Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, White Indian Hemp)
Origin: Native of USA
Family: Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed)
Light: Sun-part shade
Height: 2-6'
Spacing: 3'
Blooms: 1/4" across, fragrant, pink-purple, cluster consists of 10-20 flowers, mid-Summer
Foliage: Herbaceous, prominent vein on lower surface, lance-shaped, opposite
Seedpod: Papery, thin, pale brown skin, explodes and disperses seeds when ripe
Soil: Well-drained, acidic, neutral, moist
Water: Moderate
Uses: Perennial garden, hummingbird garden, butterfly garden, container, mass plant
Propagation: Seeds, stem cuttings, tubers divisions
Insects/Disease: Watch out for aphids
Caution: Milky sap from stems or leaves may cause skin allergy; plant is poisonous
Comments: Asclepias incarnata or Red Milkweed or Rose Milkweed or Swamp Milkweed or White Indian Hemp is a herbaceous perennial with a fast growth habit. It is a native of USA. In mid-Summer, Asclepias incarnata produces lovely terminal pink to purple blossoms, followed later by papery seedpods with explodes when ripe. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are magnetized by the nectar-rich blossoms. White Indian Hemp has lance-shaped, opposite leaves with distinct vein on the underside. Monarch caterpillars feeds on the foliage. Red Milkweed is easily propagated from seeds, tuberous root divisions and cuttings. It thrives best in well-drained, moist, acidic to neutral soil in a sunny to part shade location. Swamp Milkweed is a low maintenance plant and is water-loving. Mass plant Red Milkweed for a lovely butterfly or hummingbird garden. Rose Milkweed is grown as an annual in colder region.
Mass plant Swamp Milkweed in the wet garden for a dramatic display. Use them as background plants. Swamp Milkweed has less sap than other Milkweeds. The roots are used as a herb for the treatment of various ailments. The Pueblo Indians find Asclepias incarnata very useful in making fishing lines and threads from the plant fibers. Swamp Milkweed is a showstopper.
USDA Zones: 3-8
JennysGarden.com...Plants
images and gardening descriptions of Asclepias incarnata (Red Milkweed, Rose Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, White Indian Hemp) growing in Jenny's Garden
