Asclepias incarnata; Asclepiadaceae (milkweed family)

A relative of yesterday’s FOTD.  A few characteristics differentiate the two. Note how the inflorescences in the picture above are held upright; the flower heads in common milkweed are often drooping.

Swamp milkweed tends to have rose pink flowers,

while common milkweed’s flowers are duskier.  And swamp milkweed has much narrower leaves, and the side veins join the midrib at an acute angle; in common milkweed, the side veins join the midrib at an almost ninety-degree angle:

Swamp milkweed is generally a foot or two shorter, not as fragrant, and likes a wetter habitat.  It would be a good plant for a consistently wet area of a garden, and will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

USDA fact sheet