Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Soft pink clusters from July into August in rain gardens, pond edges, and wet spots. A monarch host that stays well-behaved in borders.
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
The monarch host plant for wet gardens. fragrant, elegant, and functional where drainage is a challenge.
Swamp Milkweed is the milkweed for the wet garden. While other milkweeds struggle in boggy conditions, this one thrives: in rain gardens, pond margins, stream banks, and any consistently moist spot where drainage is poor. The flowers are a lovely soft pink in flat-topped clusters from July through August, carrying that characteristic milkweed sweetness, and monarchs use it as a host plant exactly as they do common milkweed. The upright, lance-leaved stems stay clean and attractive all season, and the plant doesn't spread as aggressively as common milkweed, making it more suitable for moderate-sized garden spaces. The narrow, elegant seed pods in fall are ornamental. This is the version to grow if you have wet areas to manage and want to combine ecological function with genuine ornamental quality.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown swamp 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
- Average
- Mature size
- 3–4 ft · 24–30 in wide
- Bloom time
- Midsummer
- Bloom color
- Pink
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Native range
- Eastern and central North America, from Nova Scotia south to Florida, west to Utah
Care notes for swamp milkweed.
Plant in full sun to part shade in moist to wet soil. Ideal for rain gardens and pond margins. Does not tolerate dry conditions as well as other milkweeds. Cut back in late fall. Spreads moderately by self-seeding. Divide every few years in spring if clumps become crowded. Consistent moisture produces the best performance.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside swamp 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’.