Milkweed, Common

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is a robust, native perennial famous for being the primary host plant for Monarch butterfly larvae. It features large, broad, oval-shaped leaves and produces dense clusters of fragrant, pink to purple flowers in mid-summer. These blooms are highly attractive to a wide variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The plant typically grows 2 to 5 feet tall in full sun and tolerates various soil types, though it prefers moist, well-drained conditions. A distinctive trait is its large, fuzzy seed pods that split open to release silky, wind-dispersed seeds.