White Aquatic Milkweed

A yellow butterfly resting atop white aquatic milkweed blooms against a blurred natural background

White Aquatic Milkweed

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  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
  • Ships in 2-3 business days
  • Complimentary 30 Day Warranty
  • Buy direct from the grower, not a drop shipper
  • Family owned farm since 1980
  • You're good to grow this in Zone X

White Milkweed Thrives in Wet Soils Where Other Perennials Can't

Enjoy white, snowy blooms spring through fall with the Aquatic Milkweed

  • Butterfly Host Plant: A must-have for your native pollinator garden, attract Monarchs, Queens, and even hummingbirds
  • Loves Wet Feet: Native to water-heavy areas of the USA, White Milkweed thrives in soggy soil
  • Blooms Nonstop: White bloom clusters from spring through early fall! Expect flowers consistently from May into September
  • Compact Size: A mature size of just 1-3 feet tall and wide, perfect for small beds and container growing
  • Evergreen in the South: Hardy to zones 6-11, this perennial is evergreen in warmer regions of the USA

Also known as Aquatic Milkweed, Asclepias perennis is an easy to grow Milkweed known for its large clusters of snowy-white blooms. This perennial blooms continuously from May into September, making it one of the longest blooming Milkweed cultivars we carry. You can find this native plant growing happily in cypress swamps and water logged marshes throughout the south eastern United States, which is one of the biggest selling points! It can thrive in soggy soil where most other plants can't get a head. 

Why You'll Love White Milkweed

Right off the bat, White Milkweed as a live plant is hard to find! Many other online retailers offer only seeds which need to be stratified and germinate. This is also why when searching for White Milkweed for sale you'll come across more plant database archives rather than a live plant you can actually purchase. We grow it right here on our North Florida farm, perfectly situated in its native range. 

Due to how Aquatic milkweed has adapted to it's native environment in zones 6-11, you'll enjoy gentle self-seeding around the parent plants. Aquatic milkweed evolved to seed in flood plains, and because of that their seeds are flat and float down to the ground around them rather than drifting through the wind like most other milkweed cultivars. 

Essentials for Growing White Aquatic Milkweed 

Refreshingly easy to grow and maintain once in the landscape, Snowy milkweed doesn't ask for much in the realm of care. With a few quick notes on planting and growing, you'll have a beautiful and thriving herbaceous perennial garden filled with flowering milkweed in no time. 

  • Sunlight: White milkweed prefers to grow in full sun to partial shade. We've found the best results when they're in a planting location that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.
  • Soil: Sand, loam, and rich organic material. It shouldn't be sitting in standing water all day, but drainage isn't nearly as important with this variety as other plants. Any typical organic potting mix will do perfectly well.
  • Watering: Keep the soil consistently wet to mimic its natural growing habitat. This is one plant that is very hard to overwater!
  • Fertilizer: Very little, if any, is needed to enjoy the beauty of this plant. That being said, a very light fertilizer in early spring can kick start its bloom cycle and get it off to a good start. Aim for a balanced NPK rate either as a liquid or slow-release formula.

Why Buy White Milkweed from Perfect Plants Nursery?

Aquatic milkweed is most often sold as seed by other online plant retailers. That's if you can find it at all! Seeds mean stratification, germination trays, and a long wait period without any guarantee they'll actually sprout. Perfect Plants is a true family owned plant farm, and we've been growing live plants since 1980. When you order Asclepias perennis online from our store we ship you a live, rooted plant that's healthy and ready to get in the ground right away. Every plant is hand picked and packed on our property before shipping out fast to your front door!

At Perfect Plants Nursery, we stand behind every tree, shrub, and flower we grow. Every order is protected by our complimentary 30-day plant guarantee, ensuring your plants arrive healthy and ready to thrive. Unlike many online nurseries, Perfect Plants ships directly from our family-run farm, so you’re backed by growers who care about your success long after your plants leave our nursery beds. Grow with confidence knowing your investment is protected from the start.

Is aquatic milkweed the same as swamp milkweed?

No, though the names overlap constantly. Aquatic milkweed is Asclepias perennis, a compact 1 to 3 ft. wetland native with flat white flower clusters. Swamp milkweed usually means Asclepias incarnata, a taller 3 to 5 ft. plant with rose pink flowers. Both love wet ground and both host monarchs, and plenty of references call perennis "white swamp milkweed," which is where the confusion starts.

Does aquatic milkweed need to be planted in water?

Not at all. The name comes from its native home in floodplains and cypress swamps, and it will happily sit in standing water, but it grows just fine in any bed that stays consistently moist. Rain gardens, low spots, pond margins, and containers with a saucer underneath all work. The real benefit is that this is one plant you cannot overwater.

Will white milkweed grow and bloom in shade?

Yes, and that's what sets it apart from every other milkweed. Most Asclepias need six or more hours of direct sun to flower at all, while Asclepias perennis keeps blooming in part shade and even holds up in fairly deep shade in the Deep South. If you have a damp, shaded corner where nothing else will take, this is your plant.

Do monarch caterpillars eat aquatic milkweed?

They do, and they do well on it. Aquatic milkweed is a confirmed larval host for both monarch and queen butterflies, and its broad, tender leaves feed more caterpillars per plant than the narrow-leaved milkweeds. The flowers also carry a Xerces Society designation for special value to native bees, bumblebees, and honeybees.

Does aquatic milkweed spread, and should it be cut back in winter?

It stays put. Unlike common milkweed, it doesn't run underground, and its flat winged seeds float on water rather than blowing on the wind, so any volunteers show up right near the parent plant. In Zones 6 through 8 it dies back on its own each winter. In frost-free Zones 9 and 10 where it can stay green year round, we cut ours to the ground once in late fall, the same practice recommended for any milkweed in a warm climate, which keeps growth fresh and keeps the local monarch population moving on schedule.

Botanical Name
Asclepias perennis
Full Sun / Partial Shade

Sunlight
Full Sun / Partial Shade

Flower Color
White

Foliage Color
Green

Mature Width
1-3 ft

Mature Height
1-3 ft

Growing Zones6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

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