Swamp Milkweed
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata L.
Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family) (formerly in Asclepiadaceae, the Milkweed Family)
mature flowering plant ▲
flower buds, leaves ▲
flower detail ▲
Asclepias incarnata L., Swamp Milkweed: (Bayer Code: ASCIN; US Code ASIN)
- a creeping perennial with short, rhizomes
- leaves more elongated than common milkweed, not fuzzy
- stems more branched into a rounded canopy plant
- flowers in terminal axillary clusters of pink flowers (sometimes almost white)
- fruit is more slender, smooth pod
- potentially poisonous to grazing animals, but seldom eaten
- prefers wet soils--not common in pastures
The “weediness" of milkweeds has been revisited due to them being the main food for monarch butterfly larvae; therefore, milkweeds no longer are being generally considered as weeds to eradicate, and actually have legal protection in some areas.
(Updated January 19, 2019)