Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)
Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)
Asclepias speciosa is a milky-sapped perennial plant in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), known commonly as the showy milkweed and is found in the western half of North America, including British Columbia and from the Cascade Range in California east to the central United States. It grows along streams, dry slopes, open woodland areas, and roadsides.
This flowering plant is a hairy perennial growing up to 4 feet in height. The pointed, elongate, simple, entire leaves are about 4-8 inches in length, and arranged oppositely on stalks. Milky sap is released when the leaves or stems are bruised or cut.
The flowers are about 3/4ths of an inch wide, hairy, pale pink to pinkish-purple, and occur in dense umbellate cymes. Their corollas are reflexed and the central flower parts, five hoods with prominent hooks, form a star shape. The fruit is a rough follicle about 2-4 in long and filled with many flat oval seeds, each with silky filaments.
This species flowers from May through August.
Plant Details
USDA Zones: 3-9
Germination Needs: 30 Days Cold Stratification
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Moisture: Medium, Medium-Dry, Dry
Plant Spacing: 2-3 feet
Height: 4 feet
Bloom time: June, July, August
Bloom Color: Purple
Advantages :
Pollinator Favorite: butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, beetles
Deer Resistant: Yes
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Packet quantities:
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