Plant Profile: Asclepias lanceolata

The Few-flower Milkweed is a slender, upright perennial species indigenous to the coastal plains of the eastern United States, including North Carolina. It thrives in environments such as savannahs, wet pinelands, moist ditches, and both brackish and freshwater marshes. This plant often goes unnoticed in its natural surroundings until it produces tall flower stems that bloom with small clusters of vibrant orange to red flowers in the summer. Its leaves are elongated and quite narrow.

This milkweed favors wet to moist, low-nutrient soils and thrives in full sunlight, although it can also adapt to partial shade. It is ideal for use in bog gardens and wet areas near ponds or streams, as well as for naturalizing spaces. Additionally, it attracts a variety of pollinators and serves as a crucial larval host for monarch butterflies and other species.