How to prune purple milkweed

Deadhead in summer; cut back in late winter to early spring. Remove spent flower clusters by cutting back to a lateral shoot. For the seasonal cutback, reduce all stems to 3–4 inches above ground level. Wear gloves to avoid contact with the latex sap.

Deadhead as blooms fade; hard cutback once annually. Purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) is a native perennial that needs only light management. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage rebloom and reduce aggressive self-seeding. Cut stems back to a few inches above ground in late winter or very early spring before new shoots emerge from the ground.

Remove spent flower clusters by cutting back to a lateral shoot. For the seasonal cutback, reduce all stems to 3–4 inches above ground level. Wear gloves to avoid contact with the latex sap.