Common Milkweed

Common milkweed
(Asclepias syriaca)

Height:

• 2 to 6 feet

Bloom:

• June to August

Classification:

• Native
• Perennial

Sun:

• Full sun

Soil moisture:

• Dry to medium

Provides food for:

• Butterflies (flowers)
• Honey bees (flowers)
• Native bees (flowers)
• Hummingbirds (flowers, insects)
• Beetles (flowers, seeds)
• Caterpillars (foliage)
• Songbirds (caterpillars and other insects)

Notes:

• Favorite host plant of monarch caterpillars
• Spreads by clonal root shoots, can be aggressive in small gardens
• Will bloom later in season if cut back or mowed before going to seed

Native Range:

Relevant Backyard Ecology Resources:

Plant Multiple Species of Native Milkweeds for Monarch Caterpillars

Plant Taller Milkweed Species for Monarchs

Milkweeds in Urban and Suburban Monarch Waystations with Dr. Adam Baker