Common Milkweed

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

2-3 Feet

Mature Spread

6-18 Inches

Growing Zones

3 to 9

No butterfly garden is complete without the Common Milkweed or Asclepias syriaca. Tiny, pink flowers bloom in clusters on tall, sturdy stems during the middle of the summer. The fragrant blooms are offset by large, oblong foliage. The leaves are the only food source for monarch caterpillars, while the flower nectar supports the butterflies.

This plant is a vigorous grower and can quickly fill a bed or border. While it is an excellent choice for butterfly gardens, it’s also a wonderful, low-maintenance plant for containers, cottage gardens, and perennial borders. Feature Milkweed near a door or deck to enjoy the fragrant flowers in the summer. The flowers give way to seed pods that can be dried and used in arrangements. The Common Milkweed is a perennial plant in USDA zones 3 through 8 and is deer and rabbit resistant. 

Common Milkweed Care

Newly planted Common Milkweed plants need consistent care, while established plants are rather self-sufficient. Plant Milkweed in full to partial sunlight in moist, well-drained soil. Water during a drought or extended dry period. Common Milkweed tolerates low-quality soil and does not need to be fertilized. 

Common Milkweed can spread as the seed pods open and the wind distributes the seeds. The plant can easily take over a yard or neighborhood, so some gardeners opt to remove the seed pods before they burst open.

Common Milkweed Spacing

The Common Milkweed has an upright growth habit and will grow 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide. Space plants about 1 foot apart so air can circulate around the foliage.