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Purple Milkweed

Asclepias purpurascens

Purple milkweed rivals the common milkweed but with deeper rose-purple blooms and a tidier, non-aggressive habit. A choice monarch host for sun to light shade in average garden soil.

Family

Apocynaceae

Type

wildflower

Lifespan

perennial

Height

2–4 ft

Spacing

1–3 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

May, June, July

Bloom colors

red, purple

Wildlife value

butterflies, larval host, monarch host

Caterpillar hosts

~12 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

naturalizing

Native states

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV