Kind of unrelated to gardening but does anyone else find swamp milkweed to have the most amazing smell??? Like one of the best florals I’ve ever smelled. They need to bottle this stuff and sell it. Actually do they? Anybody know? Because I will buy it
by priscyausten
26 Comments
Swamp and common milkweed smell incredible! They need better PR.
Currently in the Adirondacks and the whole place reeks of all the milkweeds. Makes up for the black flies…
It’s my favorite! Smells like thick, sweet, syrupy, vanilla marshmallows to me.
BubblegumXmarshmellows
It is, bar one the best fragrant flower. Wild grape flowers, tiny and fleeting smell like an angel kiss!
Yes!! Swamp Milkweed probably has my favorite floral scent of any plant. It’s like a sweet, chocolatey, vanilla type smell.
The other that’s one of my favorites is common evening primrose. It has this almost sweet and spicy scent – it’s extremely pleasant 🙂
I anxiously await mine to bloom, but there are three confirmed caterpillars and a few eggs, so hopefully they will be successful.
Yes it’s great! I’m pretty sure i’ve heard Swamp milkweed also called Rose milkweed, maybe because of the scent!
I have some as well and whole-heartedly agree. I have to shake all the critters out before sticking my face in them, though 😁
Going outside to smell my swamp milkweed….
FYI everyone…whorled milkweed smells like ass. We cut some from the garden and brought them in. We kept checking the trash and the fruit bowl because we thought something was rotting.
It smells like lilac to me, and I loathe lilac. Not to yuck anyone’s yum! I was stung by a bee that was on a lilac bush as a kid, so it’s always stuck with me.
You could probably make it into a perfume. I know it’s possible to do with rose petals, try the same technique with milkweed maybe?
It smells like Smarties (the candy) to me
That’s one gorgeous flower. I bet the monarchs love it.
I never think to smell it but Prairie Moon Nursery compares it to vanilla?
Yes! When it’s blooming and I have someone over I ask them to smell it and have heard:
* cocoa
* vanilla
* fruity pebbles
* fake strawberry
I think it smells more sweet/vanilla in the sun. The blooms in the shade smell more of cocoa. My Sullivant’s milkweed also smells like a sweet/musky cocoa.
Now in contrast others, I’m not a fan of common milkweed scent – at least what’s grown in my yard. It’s just not a good scent to me. I’ll try it again this year when it blooms, but fear it’ll fall into the same box as prairie dropseed — some people like it but it’s not for me.
FYI swamp milkweed also makes the best cordage of the milkweeds
Mine smells like some kind of cotton candy, very sweet.
Yes has been on my top list of best smelling flowers glad it’s being appreciated! I don’t care for common milkweed though. It’s sorta sweet and almost vanilla it’s so good. I would LOVE a perfume like it!
Mine is refusing to flower. The plant is large and healthy but no sign of flowers 😢
Omg I didn’t know this existed! I would love to know where you sourced it from, my yard has some awful water logging clay areas this would be perfect for!! The only things I can get to live there are my curly willow (not native sorry 💔🥲) and overcup oak, my beebalm won’t even seed there yet
Yessss!
I have long thought that swamp milkweed was hands down the best smelling North American native flower. It’s just intoxicating.
My swamp milkweed hasn’t bloomed yet but my butterfly weed smells like absolutely nothing. It’s gorgeous but has no smell whatsoever. I’ve smelled common milkweed around town and LOVED it, anyone know if that’s normal?
I want to get some of this swamp milkweed soon
Yes, it’s intoxicating.