Asclepias incarnata, or swamp milkweed, gets its name because of its prefered habitat in wet areas, including flood plains, lakes, ponds, and marshes. A. incarnata has a taproot system with a crown producing one to six or more stems each growing season. It spreads slowly via seed. The plant tends to bloom twice in a growing season when planted in gardens.

The pink, cinnamon-like scented flowers of this plant are very attractive to butterflies. In addition, the leaves are a food source for the well-known monarch butterfly. The roots of this plant were also once used to make a tea, which when taken in small quantities, was believed to work as a general purge and to expel parasitic worms.