Ice Ballet Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet')
ah-SKLEE-pee-us incarnata 'Ice Ballet'

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Clump-forming in the Apocynaceae Family
Forms a tall upright clump of long green leaves bearing clusters of white vanilla-scented flowers. Food source for monarch butterfly larvae.

'Ice Ballet' is a white-flowered selection of Swamp Milkweed, forming a tall, upright clump of dark green leaves topped with pillowy clusters of snow-white, vanilla-scented flowers from mid-to-late summer into fall. Despite its wetland origins, it's surprisingly tolerant of average, well-drained garden soil once established, though it appreciates consistent moisture. It's a favorite of hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, and a genuine host plant for Monarch caterpillars.

Pros

  • Snow-white, vanilla-scented flower clusters that stand out against dark green foliage
  • More tolerant of average garden soil than the wet-meadow species it comes from
  • Attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, and hosts Monarch caterpillars

Cons

  • Sap and all plant parts are toxic if ingested, and can irritate skin or eyes
  • Slow to emerge each spring -- easy to think a dormant plant didn't survive winter
  • Deep taproot resents transplanting once established
Highlights

The white-flowered counterpart to the more common rose-pink Swamp Milkweed cultivars, with the same genuine vanilla fragrance and a crisp, elegant look in the border.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 4 feet tall. 18 - 24 inches wide.
Growth Rate Moderate
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet: Prefers medium to wet conditions; tolerates average garden moisture once established, more so than the species' wet-meadow origins would suggest.
Zones 3a - 9b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Erosion Control, Fragrant Flowers, Full Sun, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Good for Rocky Soil, Low Maintenance, Medium, Most Popular, Nativar, Native to North America, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Potentially Toxic, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Tolerant of Shallow Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period July to August
Flower Color White
Foliage Color Green
 

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Commonly Planted with...

Echinacea purpurea, Rudbeckia hirta, Monarda didyma, Aster novae-angliae, Salvia nemorosa, Achillea millefolium, Agastache spp., Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum), and Coreopsis spp.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!