Red Milkweed
Asclepias rubra
peganum from Henfield, England
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Apocynaceae
- Genus:
- Asclepias
- Species:
- Asclepias rubra
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 3-4 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun, Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- may, jun, jul, aug
- Bloom Colors:
- Red, Pink, Purple
Native Range
United States: Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) Butterflies:Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus), Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Dion Skipper (Euphyes dion), Dion Skipper (Euphyes dion), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Horace's Duskywing (Gesta Evans), Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes aesculapius), Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes aesculapius), ⚠️Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Palamedes Swallowtail (Pterourus palamedes), Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), Queen (Danaus gilippus), Queen (Danaus gilippus), Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), Red-Spotted Purple (astyanax) (Limenitis arthemis), Red-Spotted Purple (astyanax) (Limenitis arthemis), Reversed Roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes reversa), Reversed Roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes reversa), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Southern Cloudywing (Cecropterus Herrich-Schäffer), Spicebush Swallowtail (Pterourus troilus)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, sandy, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Commonly found in wet meadows and marshes
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Scarify, then cold-moist stratify for 60 days.
Notes: Light required for germination; do not cover seed.
Source: OpenAI GPT-4o