Swamp milkweed, also known as rose milkweed, is an early summer bloomer with clusters of fragrant pink to magenta flowers. After fertilization, green pods develop and later release flat brown seeds with tufts of silky-white hairs for wind dispersal. The flowers offer lots of nectar, which attract many bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. It is a host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars. Swamp milkweed grows in marshes, ditches, and shorelines. It is tolerant of well-drained soils in gardens.