(Asclepias syriaca ‘Common’)
Common Milkweed is a native perennial flower that is commonly found growing in open woods, fields, and along railroads and roadsides throughout the central and eastern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 3-4' and features thick upright stems, light green leaves that have red veins, and aromatic domed shaped clusters of purplish pink flowers. This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, resistant to deer, tolerates drought, is used to makes fabric, glue, paper, soap, and twine, self sows, has medicinal properties, and is great as a cut flower!
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General Information
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Germination
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Seedlings
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Harvesting
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Seed Saving
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Culinary & Medicinal
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Companion Planting
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Other Uses
Genus: Asclepias
Species: syriaca
Variety: Common Milkweed
Also Known As: Butterfly Flower, Silkweed, Silky Swallowwort, Virginia Silkweed
Native to: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Prince Edward I., Québec, Rhode I., Saskatchewan, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
Introduced into: Altay, Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hungary, Italy, Kirgizstan, Krym, Oregon, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia.
Ease of Growing: Moderate
Grown as: Perennial
Maturity (Blooms): June to August
Light: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Soil Moisture: dry to medium, well-drained.
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. Flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and leaves are a food source for monarch butterfly larvae (caterpillars).
Containers?: No
Height: 36-48”
Spacing: 18-24”
USDA Zone: 3a-9b
Produces: thick upright stems, light green leaves that have red veins, and aromatic domed shaped clusters of purplish pink flowers.
Garden Uses: Butterfly gardens, meadows, prairies, or naturalized/native plant areas. This plant is considered by many gardeners to be too vigorous and weedy for borders.
Culinary
Flowers and young flower buds: cooked. They have a mucilaginous texture and a pleasant flavor, they can be used as a flavoring and a thickener in soups etc. The flower clusters can be boiled down to make a sugary syrup. The flowers are harvested in the early morning with the dew still on them. When boiled up they make a brown sugar.
Young shoots: cooked. An asparagus substitute. They should be used when less than 20 cm tall. A slightly bitter taste. Tips of older shoots are cooked like spinach.
Young seed pods: 3 - 4 cm long, cooked. They are very appetizing. Best used when about 2-4 cm long and before the seed floss forms, on older pods remove any seed floss before cooking them. If picked at the right time, the pods resemble okra. The sprouted seeds can be eaten. An edible oil is obtained from the seed. The latex in the stems is a suitable replacement for chicle and can be made into a chewing gum. It is not really suitable for use in tires. The latex is found mainly in the leaves and is destroyed by frost. Yields are higher on dry soils.
Known hazards: Although no specific reports have been seen for this species, many, if not all, members of this genus contain toxic resinoids, alkaloids and cardiac glycosides. They are usually avoided by grazing animals. The older leaves are poisonous if eaten in large quantities. The plant contains cardioactive compounds and is potentially toxic.
Medicinal
Companion Planting
Problems
Suggested Varieties
(Tagetes erecta ‘Naughty Marietta’)
(Tagetes erecta ‘Sparky Mix’)
(Ipomoea purpurea ‘Grandpa Ott’)
Grandpa Ott' Morning Glory is a warm weather annual flowering vine that is native to Mexico and South America but can be found growing in thickets, fallow fields, and along roadsides throughout the state of Arizona. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 6-10' and features a fast-growing vine with heart-shaped dark green leaves, and 5" deep purple flowers with ruby red centers. This plant can be grown in containers or hanging baskets, attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, is both edible and medicinal, and self sows!
(Ipomea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’)
Heavenly Blue Morning Glory is a warm weather annual flowering vine that is native to Mexico but can be found growing throughout the central and eastern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 6-9' and features a fast-growing vine with heart-shaped dark green leaves, and 4-5" bright sky-blue blooms with lovely white centers. This plant can be grown in containers or hanging baskets, attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, has medicinal properties, and self sows!
(Ipomoea nil ‘Picotee Blue’)
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Picotee Blue Morning Glory is a warm weather annual flowering vine that is native to Mexico and South American but can be found growing throughout the southern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 6-9' and features a fast-growing vine with heart-shaped dark green leaves, and dramatic 6" blue blooms with bright white edging a purple star inside. This plant can be grown in containers or hanging baskets, attracts bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and hummingbirds, has medicinal properties, and self sows!
(Ipomoea purpurea ‘Tall Mixed’)
Tall Mixed Morning Glory is a warm weather annual flowering vine that is native to Mexico and South America but can be found growing in thickets, fallow fields, and along roadsides throughout the state of Arizona. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 6-9' and features a fast-growing vine with heart-shaped dark green leaves and 3-4" flower blooms in varied shades of blue, pink, purple, and white. This plant can be grown in containers or hanging baskets, attracts bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and hummingbirds, has medicinal properties, and self sows!
(Ipomoea alba ‘White’)
White Morning Glory is a warm weather annual flowering vine that is native to Mexico and South America but can be found growing throughout several states. At maturity, this plant can reach a height over 10' long and features a fast-growing vine with heart-shaped dark green leaves and 5-6" pure white, fragrant flowers. This plant can be grown in containers or hanging baskets, attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, lacewings, and pollinating moths, has medicinal properties, and self sows!
(Helianthus annuus ‘Autumn Beauty’)
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Autumn Beauty Sunflower is a native annual flower that can be commonly found growing in dry areas of meadows, plains, and prairies throughout every region of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 5-6' and features hairy stems, hairy heart-shaped green leaves, and 4-6” flowers that bloom in autumn colors such as yellow, orange, red, bronze, or mahogany. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, is resistant to rabbits, is a great trap crop for aphids, is both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, makes dye, and is great as a cut flower!
(Helianthus annuus ‘Mammoth’)
Mammoth Sunflower is a native annual plant that can be commonly found growing in dry areas of meadows, plains, and prairies throughout every region of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 8-12' and features hairy stems, hairy heart-shaped dark green leaves, and 12-24” yellow flower heads. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, is resistant to rabbits, is a great trap crop for aphids, is both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, and makes dye!
(Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Mexican’)
Mexican Sunflower is an annual flower that is native to Mexico but can be commonly found growing throughout Louisiana and Florida. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 4-6' and features 3-12” lobed dark green leaves, and 3” orange-red flowers that have orange-yellow disks. This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, is resistant to deer, tolerates drought, and is great as a cut flower!
(Helianthus annuus ‘Velvet Queen’)
Velvet Queen Sunflower is a native annual plant that can be commonly found growing in dry areas of meadows, plains, and prairies throughout every region of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 3-4' and features hairy stems, hairy heart-shaped dark green leaves, and 4-6” flower in shades of bronze, red, and mahogany with dark centers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, birds, and butterflies, is resistant to rabbits, is a great trap crop for aphids, is both edible and medicinal, tolerates drought, and makes dye!