Milkweed, showy - Asclepias speciosa

Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) | $12.99 | 4-inch pot

🌿 Quick Facts: • Native Status: Native to North America — native to Colorado, plains to montane • USDA Growing Zones: 3-9 • Height: 1.5-3 feet (to 4 feet in rich soil) • Spread: 1-2 feet per stem; colonizes by rhizomes

🌺 Bloom Details: • Season: Late spring through late summer • Colors: Pink to rose-purple • Flower Type: Domed umbels of fuzzy star-shaped florets; sweetly fragrant • Bloom Period: May-September

☀️ Growing Requirements: • Sun: Full sun • Water: Low to moderate • Soil: Adaptable — sand, loam or clay; tolerates alkaline soil; needs drainage • Spacing: 24-36 inches apart

🦋 Pollinator Benefits: • Birds: Hummingbirds nectar; goldfinches & orioles line nests with the floss • Native Bees: Exceptional — special value to bumble, leafcutter & honey bees • Butterflies: Larval host for MONARCH (primary western host) and queen; major nectar plant • Beneficial Insects: Nectar for predatory wasps & syrphid flies; aphids feed lady beetles

🌱 Plant Care: • Spring: Emerges late — mark the spot so you don't dig it up • Summer: Leave aphids and chewed leaves alone; never spray (monarch larvae) • Fall: Let pods ripen for seed, or clip to limit spreading • Winter: Fully hardy; cut old stems in late winter

🤝 Companion Planting: • Perfect paired with:

• Butterfly Milkweed
• Blazing Star
• Bee Balm
• Little Bluestem

✨ Unique Characteristics: • Top-tier monarch host for the West • Big fragrant flower umbels • Silvery-blue foliage & decorative seed pods • Drought tolerant once rooted • Spreads by rhizomes — give it room; sap is toxic/irritant