Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) -- no flowers

[Mmathis]

I'm beginning to think the plant I've been nurturing for the past few years is NOT what I thought it was. Purchased online as "swamp milkweed," but has never bloomed. This year has been the first time the plant has put out decent, multiple, branching stems. The stems got to around 5' tall then fell over, continuing to grow -- they look kinda funny, with a sideways "S" curve. But, still nothing that even remotely resembles flower buds..... . From what I've read, they usually bloom between June & August -- August is almost 1/2 over. I took some pics the other day, but they're on my phone so I'll have to post them later.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I'm beginning to think the plant I've been nurturing for the past few years is NOT what I thought it was.

Post a photo of it.
I can't remember, did you have it growing in your bog?

 

[Mmathis]

Post a photo of it.
I can't remember, did you have it growing in your bog?

Yes. It's been, maybe 3 years. I'll get the pics up ASAP!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Yes. It's been, maybe 3 years. I'll get the pics up ASAP!

I have one in my bog that's not doing very well. I guess conditions aren't right. The ones in my garden are all flowering like crazy, and one is a second year plant that's taller than I am.

 

[Nepen]

I have one in my bog that's not doing very well. I guess conditions aren't right. The ones in my garden are all flowering like crazy, and one is a second year plant that's taller than I am.

I planted one in my bog too. The first year it was big and flower nicely, this is the second year, they are smaller and flowers but not as much as the first year. May be they don't like to be in the water all the time? I don't know.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

What is the water depth where this is planted. It will typically not tolerate any water depth greater than 3 inches.
How much sun (hours/day) is it getting?

 

[Nepen]

What is the water depth where this is planted. It will typically not tolerate any water depth greater than 3 inches.
How much sun (hours/day) is it getting?

hmm, that's a good info about the water depth. Mine, the gravel in the bog flush with the water level so I'll have to say about only half to 1 inch for mine and get full sun all day.

Waiting for picture from M.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

hmm, that's a good info about the water depth. Mine, the gravel in the bog flush with the water level so I'll have to say about only half to 1 inch for mine and get full sun all day.

Waiting for picture from M.

From what I can gather it also prefers either clay or muddy soil. Planting bare-root in gravel may make a difference in growth.

 

[Mmathis]

FINALLY got around to taking some pictures!

The only fertilizer it gets is what's supplied from the pond. Maybe for them to produce flowers, they need better.....nutrition?

I am guesstimating that it's been here 3 years......or this might be its 4th season.....it all runs together.

What is the water depth where this is planted. It will typically not tolerate any water depth greater than 3 inches.
How much sun (hours/day) is it getting?

This one shows where the plant is situated. It's planted at gravel level which is more or less the same as the water level, maybe a tad higher (the gravel is "banked" to give the turtles a watering hole). So the roots are submerged, but the crown area isn't. This area gets full sunlight.

Before they fell over and started growing upward, they were 5' tall -- I know this because that's my height. They've got to be 6' plus by now. Should I have trimmed them back earlier in the season?

To be sure they were indeed "swamp milkweed," I looked up the morphology of the plant and the leaf shape and arrangement fit [though you can't tell it from any of my pictures].

 

[Meyer Jordan]

How much sun does this plant get each day? Plants typically elongate their growth (grow taller) as a way to compete with surrounding vegetation for more sunlight (they 'reach' for the sun). All of the plants energy is devoted to growth leaving none to produce flowers. It also appears that it is growing in the midst of a clump of reeds which will do two things---
-It will be competing with the reed for nutrients
-It will also be competing with the reed for root space (reeds have a very extensive and dense root system.
All of these factors may be contributing to the excessive height and lack of bloom for this plant.

 

[Mmathis]

@Meyer Jordan Full sun -- I said that above where I quoted your question....

 

[Mmathis]

How much sun does this plant get each day? Plants typically elongate their growth (grow taller) as a way to compete with surrounding vegetation for more sunlight (they 'reach' for the sun). All of the plants energy is devoted to growth leaving none to produce flowers. It also appears that it is growing in the midst of a clump of reeds which will do two things---
-It will be competing with the reed for nutrients
-It will also be competing with the reed for root space (reeds have a very extensive and dense root system.
All of these factors may be contributing to the excessive height and lack of bloom for this plant.

Hmmmm, good thoughts. So, maybe when it dies back this winter, I could try to separate the 2..... Not gonna be an easy task. But that "reed" has gotten overgrown and needs a pruning.

 

[Mmathis]

I just read on one site where they said excessive nitrogen will stimulate leaf and stem growth, at the expense of flowers. Odd, since this is a "wetland" plant. And the main reason I have plants in the bog/pond is to drink up the excess nitrates.....

OK, so any thoughts from you guys regarding what direction I should take next growing season? I'm not going to get rid of the plant, but sure would like for it to bloom!

 

[Lisak1]

I have swamp milkweed growing in my bog and it flowers beautifully. It's right at the edge of the bog and easily six feet "tall" (mine likes to slump over, too) - full sun all day. The only difference I would guess is the competition yours is receiving from the reeds. I would separate them and give the milkweed it's own space and see what happens!

 

[Mmathis]

If you are following my other thread about choosing easy-to-remove bog plants, this is sort of a follow-up to that, as well as for my milkweed. I ended up pulling everything out of the bog, including the swamp milkweed. Yes, the milkweed was growing quite well among the root system of the blue rush, but I was surprised that the root system of the milkweed seemed very adaptive...... What I mean is that the rush formed a solid mass of roots -- very difficult to remove and for a while I thought I would have to sacrifice the milkweed to get it all out. But once it was all out, it was fairly easy to "tease" the rush-plantlets away from the milkweed. It was almost as if the milkweed had poked a hole in the rush-roots and was growing like an alien, LOL! And the milkweed had a very nice, healthy looking root system, and not at all invasive-looking! Before I started digging, I cut it back because it was getting in the way. The stalks are already putting out new growth! So, since it has been so resilient in the past, hoping I can keep it going to start over again next season.