Asclepias syriaca

Common Milkweed

A favourite of the Monarch butterfly, common milkweed has clusters of mauve flowers in midsummer with an intense fragrance reminiscent of lilac. Common milkweed can be toxic to some livestock.

This plant’s sticky white sap that contains a mild poison. Monarch butterfly larvae are immune to the toxin. By feeding almost exclusively on milkweed leaves, they accumulate enough of the poison in their bodies to make them unpalatable to predators.

Height: 1-5 feet

Sun Requirements: Requires full sun

Water Requirements: Normal to moist conditions

Flowers: Cluster of pink-purple flowers June to August

Attracts: Butterflies

Important Butterfly Larval Host