Milkweed (Swamp Rose Milkweed)

Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)  Perhaps the single most important thing home gardeners can do to support monarch butterfly populations is to plant perennial milkweed. This native heirloom plant provides food and habitat for monarch butterflies and the plant is an essential food source for monarch caterpillars. In summer, purple/pink blooms look beautiful in the garden and provide a wonderful source of nectar for a range of beneficial insects. Swamp milkweed has smaller leaves than common milkweed and the flowers are generally a darker purple color. Swamp milkweed is a perennial plant and spreads through underground rhizomes as well as through scattered seeds. We grow our milkweed in border and peripheral areas of the garden where the plants have room to spread into a monarch nursery.  NOTE: Sap is mildly toxic; avoid eye/skin contact and do not ingest.   Origin: We harvested the parent seed of our milkweed from the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary in Asheville, NC.  (Approximately 30 seeds p