Common Milkweed is a must-have plant for the butterfly garden. It provides a wonderful source of nectar, and Asclepias syriaca is a host plant for butterfly larva. Common Milkweed is a hardy plant that reaches about 32 inches in height, has large leaves, and it produces very fragrant, large, pink flower clusters. The fragrance is similar to that of Lilacs and butterflies are very attracted to it. Common Milkweed does have some medicinal uses, but it should not be eaten by humans or live stalk. The seed needs to have a cold treatment in order to break the dormancy. Sowing the seed directly outdoors in prepared seedbeds in late fall is a good way to allow the seed to have a sufficient cold period. Common Milkweed seed will not germinate until the spring when temperatures begin to warm up.