Dry to somewhat moist, usually sandy, often ± disturbed areas: roadsides and railroads, shores and dunes, fields; openings in aspen and pine savannas.

The flowers are quite variable in color, normally a dusty pinkish, but ranging from a definite purple color to occasionally white or creamy-yellowish. Plants with whitish or cream flowers, especially if they have unusually small flowers, might key to A\sclepias ovalifolia, but that species is much more delicate in stature. Flowers in the large umbels sometimes shrivel in drying so that they appear to be less than 10.5 mm long, but well-pressed flowers can usually be found at least that long.

The follicles (“pods”) are occasionally smooth (as in A. purpurascens), but usually are ± prominently warty or tuberculate. Hybridizes with A. speciosa and rarely with A. exaltata and A. purpurascens.

The name "syriaca" is a misnomer; the species is a North American native, not from Syria.