Swamp milkweed

Asclepias incarnata L.

light
Sun–part
water
Medium
tall
1.2 m
wide
76 cm

Apocynaceae

Also called Rose milkweed, Red Milkweed, Pink Butterfly Plant, Rose Milkflower, Swamp Silkweed

Formerly Acerates incarnata

When it flowers

Not known yet in the tropics: too few flowering observations to read a season from.

Read from iNaturalist photographs of it in flower. A month counts at 50% of the best month's flowering share (smoothed over three months) and 10% of its flowering count, from at least 100 flowering observations in the band.

PetsNC State Extension lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (25 Oct 2026)
PeopleNC State Extension lists it as mildly poisonous (flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds, stems) (25 Oct 2026)

If a child, a pet or anyone may have eaten a plant, contact a doctor or vet straight away, or call the National Poisons Information Centre (AIIMS, New Delhi) on 1800 116 117, free and open 24 hours.

Something wrong with it?

About it

Grows as
PerennialKew's checklist, not yet checked
Climate
TemperateKew's checklist, not yet checked
Wild in
C. & E. Canada to WC. & E. U.S.A., Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)Kew's checklist, not yet checked
Light
Full sun to part shade (3 h or more)Read from NC State Extension, one source
Height
91 cm to 1.5 mRead from NC State Extension, one source
Spread
61 cm to 91 cmRead from NC State Extension, one source
Water
Average: moist, well drainedRead from NC State Extension, one source
Flowers
White, pinkRead from NC State Extension, one source
Coldest it survives
-40 °C (USDA zone 3a)Read from NC State Extension, one source

Not known yet: heat, hottest it survives.

In other languages (12)

French
Asclépiade incarnate
Portuguese
Asclépia-do-brejo
root
ASCINC
Estonian
kahkjaspunane askleepias
Dutch
Rode zijdeplant
Spanish
Algodoncillo rosa
Ojibwa
Zesab (Bagizowin)
Swedish
rosensidenört, Rosensidenört
Russian
Ваточник мясо-красный
Danish
rosensilkeplante
Chinese (China)
沼泽乳草
Finnish
purppurasilkkiyrtti, Purppurasilkkiyrtti

Where this comes from

A fact “checked by a majority of its sources” was settled by a vote of the pages it was read from, not by a person reading it; one marked “one source” rests on that page alone. Anything else not marked checked has not been checked yet. Where nothing is known, the page says so rather than guess.