Red Milkweed Asclepias lanceolata

Few-flower Milkweed is a slim upright perennial milkweed native to the coastal plains of eastern USA including NC and is found in savannahs, wet pinelands, moist ditches and brackish and freshwater marshes. It is nearly inconspicuous in its native habitat until it sends up tall flower stems that produce small clusters of bright orange to red flowers during the summer. The leaves are long and very slender.

This plant prefers wet to moist low-nutrient soils in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Use in the bog garden and wet sites along ponds or streams or for naturalizing. It attracts many pollinators and is the larval host plant for the monarch and other butterflies. 

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant disease problems. Most common milkweed pests (aphids, milkweed beetles, Monarch larvae, and milkweed tussock moth larvae) are not problematic, but both large and small milkweed bugs can be very damaging to seed pods.