Asclepias cinerea

Common Names

Ashy Milkweed, Carolina Milkweed

Summary

Carolina milkweed (Asclepias cinerea) is an endemic herbaceous perennial native to the Southeastern United States, occurring in dry pine savannas and sandy uplands of the Southeastern Coastal Plain from eastern South Carolina to the Florida Panhandle and south along the peninsula to Marion County. It has a grass-like habit with slender, erect stems about 12–28 inches tall and opposite linear leaves 2–4 inches long, exuding milky sap when bruised. Flowering occurs in summer in loose axillary or terminal umbels, with flowers ranging from ashy-gray to pale violet or pale rose and reflexed corolla lobes; the fruit is a slender, smooth follicle containing seeds with white fluffy hairs for wind dispersal. In cultivation, it grows in moist, well-drained soils with full sun to filtered shade and reaches about 12–28 inches tall; it is not commercially available and is best observed in natural areas. Ecologically, Carolina milkweed serves as a nectar source for bees, wasps, and other pollinators and as a larval host plant for Monarch, Queen, and Soldier butterflies, and contains a milky latex that is toxic to many animals.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

1-2.5 feet

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full Sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained soils, sandy soils

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained soils

Bloom Color

Pink to lavender, including ashy-gray, grayish-white, pale violet, and pale rose

Bloom Time

Spring to Fall

Foliage Color

Ash-colored

Leaf Lifecycle

Other

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, wasps, and beetles