How to prune poke milkweed

Deadhead after summer flowering; cut back in late winter. Cut spent flower clusters back to a lateral bud or remove entirely. For the seasonal cutback, cut all stems to ground level in late winter. Leave some stems standing through winter to provide wildlife habitat if possible.

Deadhead as needed; hard cutback once annually. Poke milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) is a tall woodland native that needs minimal intervention. Deadhead after flowering to limit self-seeding, or leave seedpods for monarch butterflies and birds. Cut stems back to the ground in late winter before new growth breaks. No shaping is required during the growing season.

Cut spent flower clusters back to a lateral bud or remove entirely. For the seasonal cutback, cut all stems to ground level in late winter. Leave some stems standing through winter to provide wildlife habitat if possible.