PlantsFlowers

Prairie Milkweed

Prairie Milkweed (Asclepias sullivantii)
gmayfield10 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Prairie Milkweed in flower
In flower · (c) Jason K., some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC BY NC

Asclepias sullivantii

Chicago-region native. Suited to zone 6a.

Showy monarch host for mesic prairie

ModerateFlowers
Light
Full sun
Moisture
Medium–moist
Mature size
2–4 ft
Spacing
18–30 in
Bloom or harvest
Flowers Jun–Jul
How it spreads
Moderate rhizomes
What to buy
Plug or division for reliable residential establishment; seed for larger restoration areas.
When to plant
Apr–May; late Aug–Sep, finishing about six weeks before the first frost.

In the design

Leave some stems and seedheads through winter; divide or thin only when needed.

Plants that share this spot

More in this group

Reference details
Conservatism value
8
Wetland indicator
FAC