Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) is a hardy native perennial featuring large, fragrant clusters of soft pink to lavender star-shaped flowers. Its broad, silvery-green leaves serve as an important host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars while also providing abundant nectar for pollinators. Well-suited to sunny meadows and naturalized areas, it tolerates drought and a range of soil conditions once established.
- Bloom Time: Late Spring to Late Summer
- Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Sun (6 to 6+ Hours)
- Soil Requirements: Well-drained, adaptable to various soil types (sandy, loamy, rocky, gravelly, clay soils); drought-tolerant once established; prefers drier to average conditions; tolerates fluctuating moisture and occasional seasonal flooding if drainage is good; does NOT tolerate waterlogged/consistently wet soils
