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Herbaceous Perennial

Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet'

swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet'

A clump-forming perennial to around 1.2m tall with narrow, lance-shaped, dark green leaves. Small, fragrant, white flowers are borne in dense clusters on sturdy stems from midsummer into autumn and are followed by seed pods that split to release silky-haired seeds

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Apocynaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Asclepias can be evergreen or deciduous perennials or subshrubs, with simple, entire leaves and umbel-like clusters of small, distinctively shaped flowers followed by paired fruits containing seeds embedded in silky fibres
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow outdoors in moist, fertile, loamy soil in full sun. Will thrive near a pond or stream

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by division, or root basal cuttings in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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