code: 712
This lovely North American plant is often found growing in damp to wet soils
Family: Acanthaceae
Common name: Swamp Milkweed, Rose Milkweed, Swamp Silkweed, White Indian Hemp
Minimum Height: 60 cm
Maximum Height: 1.2 meters
The large, bright, terminal blossoms of this showy flower are made up of small, rose-purple flowers which are clustered at the top of a tall, branching stem, bearing numerous narrow, lanceolate leaves, the tan-brown seed pods persisting into winter. This lovely North American plant is often found growing in damp to wet soils but is cultivated as a garden plant for its attractive flowers, which are visited by butterflies and other pollinators due to its copious production of nectar. The juice of this wetland milkweed is less milky than that of other species. The genus was named in honor of Aesculapius, Greek god of medicine, undoubtedly because some species have long been used to treat a variety of ailments. The Latin species name means flesh-colored.
Sowing advice:
For best results, sow seeds immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at 15 to 20 degrees C. However, we sow most seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, and often wait for spring before emerging regardless of when they are sown. But spring sowing will obviously give them a full season of growth if successful germination occurs.
Habitat:
Swamp milkweed prefers moisture retentive to damp soils in full sun to partial shade and is typically found growing wild near the edges of ponds, lakes, streams, and low areas—or along ditches. It is one of the best attractors of the monarch butterfly, which feeds on the flowers and lays her eggs on the plants. The emerging caterpillars feed on the leaves.
