Research conducted and descriptions written by Burley Middle School 6th grade students in 2023 with minor editing by RCA staff.
The swamp milkweed is a flowering plant with a long green stem and pink and white flowers. It has many names, including rose milkweed, rose milkflower, swamp silkweed, or white Indian hemp. It is called milkweed because of the milky-like latex on the stem and leaves. The scientific name for swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, is named after the Greek god of medicine, Asklepios. It can grow 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. It blooms from the middle of the summer to fall. The swamp milkweed grows in sunny wetlands like swamps, marges, bogs, fens, and places around bodies of water. The swamp milkweed loves living near lots of moisture, sunlight, and wet clay soil, though it can survive dry conditions.
Fun fact: It attracts the famous and endangered monarch butterfly. In the monarch’s world, milkweed is a delectable treat. They lay their eggs on it and monarch caterpillars will only eat milkweed. Monarch butterflies migrate south for the winter and fly from as far north as Canada all the way to Mexico. Habitats like this one provide them with a place to rest and refuel on their long journey across the continent!