Asclepias incarnata

This tall native perennial tolerates heat extremely well while producing its multitudes of soft pink bloom clusters for several months late spring through fall. It grows naturally at the edge of seasonally wet areas so it needs regular watering to keep it flowering. Pink Swamp Milkweed is a clumping perennial and will not spread throughout the garden. This plant is outstanding in butterfly gardens both as a nectar source for adults and a host plant for Monarch caterpillars. Some gardeners describe the scent of its showy blooms like that of vanilla, but a couple of our employees insist its fragrance smells like something known as bubblegum tape.