Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Asclepias syriaca, commonly called common milkweed, butterfly flower, silkweed, silky swallow-wort, and Virginia silkweed, is a species of flowering plant. It is native to southern Canada and much of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, excluding the drier parts of the prairies. It is in the genus Asclepias, the milkweeds.
Quick Facts
| Scientific name | Asclepias syriaca |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Height | 3-5 ft |
| Bloom time | Jun-Aug |
| Sun | Full sun |
| Moisture | Dry to mesic |
| Soil | Any |
| Wildlife value | Primary monarch host in Minnesota; powerfully fragrant, heavily visited |
Mentioned In
Image Credits
- Jason Hollinger (CC BY 2.0)
- H. Zell (CC BY-SA 3.0)