Red Milkweed (Asclepias rubra L.)
Also known as tall pink bog milkweed.
↑Summary
An obligate species of wetlands with acidic soils. A milkweed with a restricted range, mostly found in bogs, having dark pink flowers. Endangered in much of its range, with many populations extirpated.
↑Range - Expand
| Legend | Color |
| Native | |
| Extirpated | |
| Native or Not Present |
This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.
↑Habitat
Restricted to consistently wet conditions with acidic soils. Able to grow in acidic conditions that few other plants tolerate, but cannot tolerate competition from more vigorously-growing vegetation on less acidic sites.
Found in bogs, wet pine savannas, and seeps in sandy areas.
↑Uses
Uncommonly planted in wet spots in gardens. It is a good choice of plant for artifical bogs, and can be grown in other types of constructed wetlands, although it does not tolerate competition from other plants in richer wetland habitats.
↑Links & External Resources
• Asclepias rubra (Red Milkweed) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)
• Asclepias rubra | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)
• Asclepias rubra | NatureServe Explorer (About This Site)
• Red Milkweed | Maryland Biodiversity Project (About This Site)
• Asclepias rubra L. (Red Milkweed) | Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (About This Site)
