swamp milkweed

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a North American plant known for its lanceolate leaves and crimson or purple flowers. It belongs to the milkweed genus (Asclepias), which comprises about 140 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the dogbane family.12

Milkweeds are characterized by their milky juice, five united petals, podlike fruits, and tufted seeds. This milky juice likely deters predators from consuming the larvae and later stages of insects that feed on milkweed.2

Many species of milkweed, including swamp milkweed, are important food sources for the larvae of various butterflies, most notably the monarch butterfly. The fluffy seed fibers of common and swamp milkweed can be used as milkweed floss. Conservation efforts encourage planting native milkweed species due to declines in wild milkweed populations.2