Asclepias syriaca Common Milkweed
Native To: New York City Wetland Indicator: UPL Soil: pH 5.6-7.5
Form/Color Perennial, single-stemmed, grows to 6.5', Stormwater Insufficient information to determine
stout, hairy stem, umbrella-shaped Tolerance: tolerance.
inflorescence, flowers muddy mauve.
Urban Tolerant of fill soils, disturbance,
Tolerance: concrete debris.
Habitat: Open areas, roadsides, fill, abandoned
lots.
Ecosystem Attractive to bees, wasps, flies,
Services: butterflies, moths, eaten by monarch
butterfly larvae, curculionid and
Hydrology: Tolerant of drought. cerambycid beetles, lygaeid bugs.
Ornamental Large ball shaped drooping flowers that
Value: are pink-brown and fragrant. Wide oval Compatibility: Can form colonies. Often found with
leaves and green seed pods with warts dogbane and common aster.
will split and fluff out when mature.
Salt Intolerant of salt.
Tolerance: Other: Sap is toxic, attacked by aphids,
parasitized by several fungi.
Shade Needs at least 30% full sun.
Tolerance:
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed
Native To: New York City Wetland Indicator: UPL Soil: pH 4.8-6.8
Form/Color Perennial, single-stemmed, grows to 2', Stormwater Tolerant of stormwater.
flowers orange in July-August, in umbels. Tolerance:
Urban Adapted to coarse and medium soils,
Tolerance: no tolerance of soil compaction,
performs well in the right of way.
Habitat: Open, undisturbed, upland areas.
Ecosystem Attractive to bees, butterflies,
Services: seedlings eaten by rabbits.
Hydrology: High tolerance to drought.
Ornamental Showy orange flowers radially
Value: symmetrical. Narrow lanceolate leaves Compatibility: Not a good competitor in dense
line the stem and excrete a milky-sap vegetation, easily shaded out by
when damaged. other plants.
Salt Intolerant of salt.
Tolerance: Other:
Shade Intolerant of shade.
Tolerance: