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Rose Milkweed

from $5.00

(Asclepias incarnata)
Essential for Monarch Butterflies 

Of all of our milkweed here at The Wild Patch, this is the one we love the most because it behaves in the garden. It’s happy to stay contained, unlike its cousin, common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). It’s a stunning perennial with dark pink flower buds that open to pale pink. The bees and butterflies can't get enough of it and the Monarchs love to lay their eggs on it. Rose milkweed is lovely in the perennial border planted alongside other plants that tolerate sun/part shade, including New England aster, tall American bell flower, three-lobed coneflower, blue vervain, wild iris, and boneset. It also makes a great addition to the edge of a pond or stream, or in a rain garden. Swamp milkweed is also deer resistant, which means it’s not likely to get munched on. Our deer, at The Wild Patch, tend to pass it by, preferring some of our other flowers. 

(Note: Now accepting orders for Fall — shipping begins Sept 1 . For local customers, plants available now-Sept 30 for local pick-up. Seeds ship year-round.)

Size:

(Asclepias incarnata)
Essential for Monarch Butterflies 

Of all of our milkweed here at The Wild Patch, this is the one we love the most because it behaves in the garden. It’s happy to stay contained, unlike its cousin, common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). It’s a stunning perennial with dark pink flower buds that open to pale pink. The bees and butterflies can't get enough of it and the Monarchs love to lay their eggs on it. Rose milkweed is lovely in the perennial border planted alongside other plants that tolerate sun/part shade, including New England aster, tall American bell flower, three-lobed coneflower, blue vervain, wild iris, and boneset. It also makes a great addition to the edge of a pond or stream, or in a rain garden. Swamp milkweed is also deer resistant, which means it’s not likely to get munched on. Our deer, at The Wild Patch, tend to pass it by, preferring some of our other flowers. 

(Note: Now accepting orders for Fall — shipping begins Sept 1 . For local customers, plants available now-Sept 30 for local pick-up. Seeds ship year-round.)

PLANT FACTS:

Seed per packet: 100
Lifecycle: Perennial
Germination code: C(30)
Needs cold stratification: Yes
Bloom time: June, July, August
Bloom color: Pink
Light: Full sun - partial sun
Soil moisture:  Wet, medium-wet, medium
Height: 4’
Plant spacing: 18-36"
USDA zones: 3-9
Deer resistance: High
*Note: Toxic to humans & animals (do not ingest)

WILDLIFE BENEFITED

Attracts butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
Host plant for Monarch and Queen caterpillars.

PAIRS WELL WITH:

Rose Milkweed does well with other native plants that love sun and moist soil. Some good companions include: Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) and New York aster (Aster novi-belgii). 

GOOD TO KNOW…

  • Rose Milkweed is one of the easiest natives to grow from seed.

    Germination code: C(30)
    Days to germination: 10-15
    Days to maturity: 120-130 days

    Indoors: Sow the seeds 4-8 weeks before the last frost in seedling trays. Fill with a seedling soil mixture and moisten the soil. Press three seeds in each cell, gently. Cover with a thin layer of soil. Spray or mist. Keep the seeds moist and give them light and warmth between 65℉ and 75℉. Germination rates decrease significantly at higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant seedlings when they have one set, or more, of true leaves and the danger of frost has passed. 

    Outdoors: Sow directly onto bare soil in the fall and winter. Press seeds lightly to make contact with soil. 

    Note: The Wild Patch is not responsible for buyer germination success. Liability of seller is limited to the cost of the item(s).


  • Many native plant seeds won’t sprout right away — they need certain conditions, like cold, warmth, or moisture, to break dormancy (their “sleeping” state). Germination codes are short labels (like A, B, C, etc.) that tell you what a seed needs to wake up and grow. For Rose Milkweed, a germination code "C 30" means that the seeds require a period of cold, moist stratification for at least 30 days to break dormancy. 

  • It sounds harder than it is. There are two easy ways to cold stratify your seeds: 

    Method 1: Direct sow the seeds outdoors in late fall or early winter. The natural cycles of freezing and thawing will provide the necessary cold, moist stratification the seeds need and the seeds will germinate the following spring.

    Method 2: This method mimics a natural cold cycle. Just place the seeds in a plastic ziplock bag in between a damp coffee filter or with a small amount of moistened peat moss or sand. Store the bag in the refrigerator for 30+ days. Then remove and sow the seeds.