FlowerMilkweed
Common Milkweed
Nectar Plant
Common milkweed is a Missouri native perennial that stands 24-36 inches tall, though wild plants can reach 3-4 feet or occasionally taller. It produces domed clusters of fragrant, pinkish-purple flowers from June through August that attract butterflies in abundance. Hardy in zones 3-9, this rough-stemmed plant thrives in poor, dry soils and spreads readily by rhizomes, often forming extensive colonies in fields and along roadsides. Its showy seed pods add interest late into the season, and deer won't touch it.
Photo © True Leaf Market(https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/thyme-organic-seeds)
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-9
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained Loam, Tolerates Poor Soil
Preferred Temp65-80°F
Growth Stats
36 in
Height
12 in
Width
PeriodPerennial
TypeBush
Spacing
18-24 inches apart
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-9
Size
36in H x 12in W
Growth
Perennial
Care
Low
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Highlights
Common milkweed produces fragrant, pinkish-purple flower clusters that emerge from the upper leaf axils over a three-month bloom window. The thick, broad-oblong leaves feature distinctive reddish veins and can reach 8 inches long, creating a bold textural presence even before flowers appear. Once established, this plant essentially takes care of itself in poor, dryish soils, spreading via underground rhizomes to create the kind of landscape-wide monarch habitat that native plant gardeners dream of.
Common Uses
Common milkweed is primarily grown to naturalize areas and create habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Its fragrant flowers provide nectar throughout summer, while its leaves are the essential food source for monarch caterpillars. In native plant gardens and meadow restorations, it serves as a foundational species that helps establish the ecological framework that attracts and sustains butterfly populations.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Early Summer
First Harvest
Late Summer (Seed Pods, If Applicable)
Last Harvest
Early Fall
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost date. Sow at a depth of 1/4 inch and transplant outdoors 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost date when seedlings are ready.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost date, spacing plants 12 inches apart. Harden off seedlings before moving them to their permanent location.
Direct Sow
Sow seeds directly outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, or sow in fall for spring germination. Direct sown seeds will emerge in spring when soil warms.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Deer ResistantDrought TolerantAttracts Pollinators
Soil pH Range
4.5 – 7.5
Bloom Time
June To August
Attracts
Butterflies
Tolerances
DeerDroughtDry SoilErosionShallow-rocky Soil
Scientific Classification
Asclepias L.
Family
Asclepiadaceae
Genus
Asclepias
History & Origin
“Asclepias syriaca is a rough, weedy Missouri native perennial that commonly occurs throughout the state in fields, open woods, waste areas, roadsides, and along railroad tracks. Its presence in these marginal spaces reflects both its ecological adaptability and its historical role as a colonizer of disturbed ground. The plant's common name and its scientific epithet (syriaca, meaning 'of Syria') reveal the intersection of human observation and botanical naming tradition, though the species is solidly rooted in North American ecology.”