Photo Credit: John Brandauer / Flickr Creative Commons
Growing Zones
3-8
Light
Full Sun
Duration
Perennial
Size
~2-4 ft (61 to 122 cm)
Asclepias purpurascens, or purple milkweed, is a flowering plant native to the eastern United States. It is a member of the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae) and is well-known for its eye-catching clusters of vibrant purple blooms as well as its critical function in sustaining numerous pollinators, particularly monarch butterflies. Asclepias purpurascens grows best in open woodlands, prairies, and meadows, where its tall stalks with lance-shaped leaves and vivid blooms provide a pop of color to the environment. Aside from its decorative attractiveness, this species has an important ecological purpose as a host plant for monarch butterfly larvae and a nectar source for a variety of other insect species.
Names:
Scientific Name: Asclepias purpurascens
Plant Family: Apocynaceae
Other Names:
Native range:
AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV
Bloom Information:
Bloom Color: Pink to Purple
Bloom Time: Spring, Summer
Requirements
Water Needs: Low, Average
Soil Drainage: Dry to medium well-drained soils
Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH: Acidic, Alkaline, Neutral
Considerations:
Monarch caterpillars are veracious eaters, so plant more than you think you will need!
