Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Apocynaceae
- Genus:
- Asclepias
- Species:
- Asclepias syriaca
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 4-6 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun, jul, aug
- Bloom Colors:
- White, Purple
Native Range
United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Delicate Cycnia (Cycnia tenera), Lined Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia lineata), Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), ⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), Black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus), Black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus), Bombus spec (Bombus spec), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), bumblebee (Bombus Latreille), bumblebee (Bombus Latreille), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Confusing bumble bee (Bombus perplexus), Confusing bumble bee (Bombus perplexus), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fernald's bumblebee (Bombus fernaldae), Fernald's bumblebee (Bombus fernaldae), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Lemon cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus citrinus), Lemon cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus citrinus), Morrison bumble bee (Bombus morrisoni), Morrison bumble bee (Bombus morrisoni), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis), Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Sanderson bumble bee (Bombus sandersoni), Sanderson bumble bee (Bombus sandersoni), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola), Yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola) Butterflies:Aaron's Skipper (Poanes aaroni), Aaron's Skipper (Poanes aaroni), American Copper (Lycaena hypophlaeas), American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), American Snout (Libytheana carinenta), American Snout (Libytheana carinenta), Atlantis Fritillary (Argynnis atlantis), Azure sp. (Celastrina Tutt), Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Broad-winged Skipper (Poanes viator), Broad-winged Skipper (Poanes viator), (Pieris rapae), (Pieris rapae), Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius), Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius), Checkered White (Pontia protodice), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), Clouded Yellows (Colias Fabricius), Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis), Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis), Common Ringlet (North America) (Coenonympha california), Common Ringlet (North America) (Coenonympha california), Common Swallowtails (Papilio Linnaeus), Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala), Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala), Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis l-album), Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis l-album), Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus), Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus), Crescents (Phyciodes Hübner), Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan), Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Duskywing sp. (Erynnis Schrank), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), (Thymelicus lineola), (Thymelicus lineola), Field Skipper (Atalopedes campestris), Field Skipper (Atalopedes campestris), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Great Spangled Fritillary (Argynnis cybele), Great Spangled Fritillary (Argynnis cybele), Greater Fritillary (Speyeria Scudder), Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis), Hairstreak sp. (Satyrium Scudder), Hickory Hairstreak (Satyrium caryaevorus), Hickory Hairstreak (Satyrium caryaevorus), Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades), Horace's Duskywing (Gesta Evans), Large Heath (Coenonympha tullia), Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), Little Glassywing (Vernia verna), Little Glassywing (Vernia verna), Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela), Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela), Long Dash Skipper (Limochores Scudder), (Lycaena Fabricius), ⚠️Monarch (Danaus plexippus), ⚠️Mustard White (Pieris oleracea), ⚠️Mustard White (Pieris oleracea), Northern Broken-Dash (Polites egeremet), Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta), Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), Peck's Skipper (Polites coras), Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Red-Spotted Purple (astyanax) (Limenitis arthemis), Red-Spotted Purple (astyanax) (Limenitis arthemis), Sachem (Atalopedes Scudder), Salt Marsh Skipper (Panoquina panoquin), Salt Marsh Skipper (Panoquina panoquin), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis), Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis), Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe), Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe), Spicebush Swallowtail (Pterourus troilus), Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops), Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops), Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), Swarthy Skipper (Nastra lherminier), Swarthy Skipper (Nastra lherminier), Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton), Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles), Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles), Tiger Swallowtails and Allies (Pterourus Scopoli), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Viceroy (Limenitis archippus), Zabulon Skipper (Lon zabulon), Zabulon Skipper (Lon zabulon), Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon), Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon), Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus), Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 4.8 - 6.8 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- Prefers open, sunny locations; common in disturbed areas
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Mix the seeds with an equal amount of moist perlite or vermiculite. Seal mixture into a Ziploc-style bag or a Rubbermaid-style container. One-month cold moist stratification in a cool dry place (refrigerator or cold garage). Cold store until planted (up to 3 years).
Establishment: Seed is collected by hand from locally native plants within the eastern central Upper Peninsula. The plant blooms from approximately June to Aug. and seed is harvested Sept. thru Oct. The habitat is dry to somewhat moist, usually sandy, often disturbed areas. The plant is stout, finely downy, grayish-green, usually unbranched stem up to 2 meters tall and rapidly spreads by underground stems.
Source: npn.rngr.net