← Back to Plant Finder

Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca

Sometimes considered weedy, this is a monarch butterfly favorite as both a host and nectar plant. Large flower heads are quite showy. Spreads by seed and underground roots.

USDA symbol: ASSY

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height3 to 4 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureDry
Bloom ColorPink
Common Milkweed (Common Milkweed<div><em class="small">Asclepias syriaca</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Native Landscapes (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience10
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant, Fire Tolerant, General Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsJuly
Larval Host ofButterflies, Moths
Specific Pollinators HostedDanaus plexippus, Euchaetes egle
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Stem Nesting, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism1
Herbivore SensitivityLow
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadFast
Soil StabilizationDeep
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lac qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands