Swamp milkweed is an irresistible food for monarch butterflies that lay their eggs on the plant, and is also a nutritious food source for bees, flies, moths, beetles, and wasps. The fragrance emitted by the flowers is likened to that of cinnamon. Native to wet soil, but can tolerate drier sites. 
 
Plant seeds directly into the soil in the fall or start your seeds indoors, 4-8 weeks before the average date of last frost.