Our species spotlight this month explores a shoreline native plant that is great for water quality and pollinators – Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)! Even though it is cold outside and hard to think of spring gardening, this is a great time to learn about native Wisconsin species for your garden, especially on the shoreline. Also known as rose or red milkweed, swamp milkweed prefers lots of sun and can grow about 3 – 5 feet tall. Its leaves are smooth and narrow, with sharp tips. It produces fruit/seeds that are attached to a silky material and encased in pods.
Swamp milkweed blooms with red/pink flowers, usually in June – August. Though its flowers are beautiful, it is the roots that are great for water quality. The roots of swamp milkweed grow about 4 feet deep, which allows more stormwater to soak into the ground. This helps remove excess phosphorus, which is a major cause of degraded water quality and contributes to algal blooms. Deep rooted native plants like swamp milkweed also hold onto sediment well, helping prevent shoreline erosion. In addition to helping improve water quality, swamp milkweed provides food for many butterfly species, especially the monarch. In addition, monarchs will only lay their eggs on milkweed and monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed. Many birds appreciate this species too, because they use old stems to build nests.
Milkweed gets its name from the milky sap that leaks out from the stem or leaves. The sap is toxic if consumed in large quantities, so this species may not be the best choice for gardens where pets can get to it. However, most animals won’t eat it because it does not taste good.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance has resources to help install native plantings on your shoreline. If you are interested learning more about this program, called Healthy Lakes and Rivers, reach out to Katie at katherine@fwwa.org or 920-851-6472. Please note that properties must be within 1000 feet of a lake or 300 feet of a river or stream to qualify. Additional requirements apply. Check out more about the program here: Winnebago Waterways Shoreline Restoration Program
Grow native plants in the winter with Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance! Learn more about our Winter Sow Program here: Winnebago Waterways Winter Sow
Monarch on Swamp Milkweed - Jim Hudgins-USFWS
Swamp Milkweed Fruit and Seeds - Public Domain
Swamp Milkweed in Bloom - Public Domain
Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance recovery initiative. Contact us at wwinfo@fwwa.org
