Asclepias syriaca

Common Milkweed can be enjoyed for its large beautiful pink bloom clusters and for its role as a food source for Monarch butterfly caterpillars. You just have to know where to plant it. It is not a plant for the average flower bed or garden because of its aggressive nature. What works great for competing with grasses and a matrix of other species out on the prairie, is a bit overpowering for most tame garden settings. I?ve had it travel via its underground rhizomes more than 20 feet in a few years even with poor soil and no supplemental watering. That being said, many gardeners have an out-of-the-way rough area maybe on the edge of their property or other wild area where it can romp freely. A great plant for ecological significance, just be careful where you unleash it.