Swamp Milkweed

(Asclepias incarnata)

 

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Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Identification: Flowers dull pink or lavender, arranged in small, rounded clusters near the apex of the plant. Family with a distinctive flower consisting of 4 petals hanging downward and a crown of 5 incurved horns. Fruit an elongate, pointed pod containing flattened seeds topped with silken parachutes. Leaves and stem with milky sap. Leaves smooth, elongate, narrow, and pointed, either alternate or in opposite pairs. Plant 2 to 4 feet in height.

Distribution: Eastern North America. Also occurs in most of the west except for the Pacific Coast States and Arizona.

Habitat: Swamp Milkweed is a species of swamps, wet fields and meadows.

Flowering period:  June to August.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Similar Species:

The dull pink flowers and elongate, narrow, and pointed leaves are characteristic features of Swamp Milkweed.

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