General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Plant Height: 12 - 48 inches
Plant Spread: 12 - 18 inches
Leaves: Other: Velvety, broad-oblong to broad-ovate, gray-green leaves (to 8" long) with conspicuous veining..
Fruit: Showy
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Other: Flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and leaves are a food source for monarch butterfly larvae (caterpillars).
Flower Color: Other: Pinkish-white to pinkish-purple, Purplish rose
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Underground structures: Rhizome
Uses: Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Rabbit Resistant
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous
Roots are poisonous
Propagation: Seeds: Provide light
Self fertile
Stratify seeds: 3 months at 40 degrees
Suitable for wintersowing
Other info: Easily grown from seed, and may self-seed in the landscape if seed pods are not removed prior to splitting open.
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Pollinators: Moths and Butterflies
Bees
Various insects
Containers: Not suitable for containers

Image
Common names
  • Showy Milkweed
  • Milkweed
  • Silkweed
  • Pink Milkweed
  • Greek Milkweed
  • Wild Milkweed

Photo Gallery
Location: Powell Butte, Oregon
Date: 2020-07-16
Location: Twisp
The wild milkweed is really taking over our pasture and we have a
Location: Golden, CO
Date: 2021-07-06
Location: Southern Michigan
Location: Twisp
Date: September
Location: West Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-09-05
Location: Green River State Park, Green River, Utah, United States
Date: 2017-05-19
Location: Golden, CO
Date: 2021-07-06
Photo by Natalie
Location: Twisp
Date: June
Location: Rainbow Bay Area, Deer Creek State Park, Wasatch County, Utah, United States
Date: 2023-07-21

Date: 2017-06-12
Location: IL
Date: 2015-06-18
Location: Dinosaur Gardens, Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum, Vernal, Utah, United States
Date: 2022-06-26
Location: Steinaker State Park, Uintah County, Utah, United States
Date: 2022-06-25
Location: Lenore, ID
Date: 9-2013
Location: Illinois, US
Date: 2017-06-13

Date: May
Bureau of Land Management photo.

Date: 2015-06-15
Location: Golden, CO
Date: 2021-07-06
Location: IL
Date: 2015-06-18
Location: Steinaker State Park, Uintah County, Utah, United States
Date: 2022-06-25
Location: Carson City, NV
Date: 2023-07-04
Location: Carson City, NV
Date: 2023-07-04
Location: Lenore, ID
Date: 9-2013
Location: Lenore, ID
Date: 9-2013
Location: Twisp
Location: Butterfly garden
Date: 2012-04-26
First bloom since planted in the second year of growth...started

Date: 2015-06-15
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-06-15
Photo by duane456
Location: Twisp
Date: June
Out in the pasture

Date: 2017-06-12

Date: 2015-06-15
Photo by MaryDurtschi
Location: IL
Date: 2015-06-14
Location: Dinosaur Gardens, Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum, Vernal, Utah, United States
Date: 2022-06-26
Location: Illinois, US
Date: 2017-06-13
Location: Twisp
Date: 2015-06-14
Just about to open
Location: On my property in Lenore, ID
Date: 8-27-2013
Individual seeds
Photo by Natalie
Photo by Natalie
Location: On my property in Lenore, ID
Date: 7/8/2013
The seed pods grow from the area where the flowers were blooming.
Location: On my property in Lenore, ID
Date: 7/8/2013

Date: 2015-06-15
Location: Steinaker State Park, Uintah County, Utah, United States
Date: 2022-06-25
Location: Lenore, ID
Date: 9-2013
Location: On my property in Lenore, ID
Date: 8-27-2013
Seed pod, after opening

Date: 2016-06-14

Date: 2016-06-14

Date: 2016-06-14
Location: Twisp
Date: 2015-09-18

Photo Courtesy of Prairie Nursery.
  • Uploaded by Joy

Photo Courtesy of Prairie Nursery.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Green River State Park, Green River, Utah, United States
Date: 2017-05-19
Photo by MaryDurtschi

Photo Courtesy of Secret Garden Growers.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: IL
Date: 2015-06-15
Location: Hamilton Square Perennial Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2015-06-10
Oleander Aphid, Aphis nerii on Asclepias speciosa with, finally,
Location: My Property Sunset Zone 23 Sub-Tropical Southern California
Date: 2012-05-02
Location: Carson City, NV
Date: 2019-08-08

Date: 2015-06-15

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
  • Uploaded by Joy
Photo by Natalie

Photo Courtesy of Select Seeds. Used with permission.
  • Uploaded by Joy

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
  • Uploaded by Joy
This plant is tagged in:
Image

Comments:
  • Posted by imabirdnut (North Texas - Zone 7b) on Sep 14, 2012 8:09 AM concerning plant:
    Good nectar source for hummingbirds as well as butterflies
  • Posted by KFredenburg (Black Hills, SD - Zone 5a) on Jun 18, 2020 6:49 PM concerning plant:
    There are recipes for preparing this species as a vegetable, but the plant should be positively identified before eating, as some Milkweeds are highly poisonous, and eating them can result in death.
Plant Events from our members
lovesblooms On March 1, 2020 Seeds sown
winter sow
lovesblooms On March 3, 2018 Seeds sown
indoors
lovesblooms On February 4, 2017 Seeds sown
indoors
lovesblooms On March 11, 2016 Seeds germinated
lovesblooms On March 5, 2016 Seeds sown
indoors
MunchkinsMom On July 2, 2016 Miscellaneous Event
Starting to bud
MunchkinsMom On October 26, 2015 Transplanted
Small Bed, Fair Oaks Nursery 4" pot $5.99
ricelg On January 3, 2018 Obtained plant
Placed seeds on paper towel moistened with distilled water and sealed in Ziploc bag in refrigerator
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
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ID question by janinilulu Jul 14, 2021 7:33 PM 5

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