Swamp Milkweed

Plant Info

Also known as:	Swamp Silkweed
Scientific name:	Asclepias incarnata
Family:	Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun; wet fields, swamps, along shores
Bloom season:	summer
Plant height:	1 to 4 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Rice Creek Trail Corridor Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

2 to 3-inch somewhat rounded flower cluster. Like most milkweeds, individual flowers are ¼-inch across with 5 downward-curved petals. Flower color ranges from pink to magenta to red, the center of the star-shaped crown is usually cream colored.

Leaves:

Smooth-edged leaves up to 6 inches long and 1½ inches wide tapering to a point at the tip; opposite attachment at the stem.

Fruit:

Slender pods about 4 inches long containing many flat, brown seeds, each with a fuzzy parachute attached. When the pod splits open the seeds are carried away by the wind.

Notes:

Swamp milkweed can be distinguished from other milkweeds by its narrow leaves.

More photos

• full-size plant, about 30 inches tall

All photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN, June-September 2006.

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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