Clasping Milkweed
Asclepias amplexicaulis
A monarch host for dry, sandy sites, with nodding pink-rose clusters and a gentle fragrance. A genuine find for pollinator gardeners.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
A monarch host plant for the dry, sandy spots where most milkweeds won't grow. an important piece of the pollinator habitat puzzle for difficult sites.
Clasping milkweed is one of the more distinctive-looking milkweeds, with broad leaves that wrap around the stem at the base, the 'clasping' habit that gives it its name, and nodding spherical flower clusters in pink-rose tones with a gentle fragrance. It grows on dry, sandy, open soils and roadsides, which means it's one of the best milkweed choices for well-drained, difficult sites where butterfly weed might also thrive. Like all milkweeds, it's an essential monarch butterfly host plant: caterpillars feed on the leaves, and adults nectar on the flowers. The species is less common in cultivation than butterfly weed or common milkweed, which makes it a genuine find for dedicated pollinator gardeners.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown clasping milkweed propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 1.5–3 ft · 12–18 in wide
- Bloom time
- Midsummer
- Bloom color
- Pink
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Native range
- Eastern and Central United States
Care notes for clasping milkweed.
Full sun in dry, sandy, well-drained soil. Absolutely requires good drainage. will rot in wet or clay conditions. Deep taproot means transplanting is difficult; plant in permanent location. Slow to emerge in spring; mark the location to avoid disturbing it. Completely drought-tolerant once established.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside clasping milkweed.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.