Summer’s Here: Swamp Milkweed

Swamp Milkweed (photo by Marcy Cunkelman)

Here’s another butterfly pleaser in the milkweed family:  Asclepias incarnata or Swamp Milkweed.

I found it blooming last week at Raccoon Creek State Park’s Wetland Trail – which is no surprise.  This flower’s favored habitat is wet ditches, wet meadows and shorelines. 

Swamp Milkweed flowers have a pretty two-tone effect.  The top is white and the lower petals are rosy purple.  They’re especially beautiful when Great Spangled Fritillaires are sipping their nectar.

(photo by Marcy Cunkelman)

3 thoughts on “Summer’s Here: Swamp Milkweed

  1. There’s a patch of it in Schenley Park that had lots of the Great Spangled’s on it and two Monarchs when I was there two weeks ago. It was great to see all that butterfly activity!

  2. Is that the milkweed that gets the pods on them? That butterfly is interesting, I’ve probably seen alot of them but unknowing their decorative name is always intriguing. Faith C.

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