During WWII the seeds were collected and the hairy coma or "floss" on the seeds was used in making life jackets. Attributes: Genus: Asclepias Species: syriaca Family: Apocynaceae Uses (Ethnobotany): Native Americans used the plant as a fiber source.Tags: #showy flowers #poisonous #fragrant flowers #drought tolerant #pink flowers #nectar plant #low maintenance #erosion control #deer resistant #native garden #Monarch butterfly #naturalizes #pollinator plant #wildflower garden #dried arrangements #larval host plant #food source fall #food source herbage #food source nectar #food source pollen #coastal UPL #dry soils tolerant #butterfly friendly #nectar plant early summer #nectar plant midsummer #nectar plant late summer #FACU Piedmont Mountains #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #Audubon #weed #wildlife friendly #meadow Profile Video: See this plant in the following landscapes: Tropical Look Garden Round Garden Bed Cultivars / Varieties: The bark, flower, seed pods, leaves, roots, and stems are poisonous, which can be a problem for cats, dogs, and horses. Milkweed-feeding aphids are common, though can be left alone and will attract beneficial insects that will feed on them. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems but can be weedy. Many hairtufted seeds are dispersed by the wind.Stems and leaves when crushed will produce a milky liquid and sap.Today, coma is used for pillows and blankets.Ĭommon milkweed can be used in naturalized areas, meadows, and butterfly, native, or pollinator gardens, but its wild and rangy form is not ideal for planting in borders. Life jackets were made from the coma of the seeds during WWII. Native Americans used the milkweed plant for fiber sources. Leaf arrangement is opposite and is oblong in shape with reddish veins.Ĭommon milkweed not only provides nectar for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators but is a larval host plant for Monarch butterflies. Fragrant flowers in colors of green, pink, white, and purple or lavender will last from June through August. In summer, five-petaled flowers bloom with up to 100 flowers per cluster and one to three clusters per stem. It propagates easily by seed or root cuttings and will naturalize in the garden, taking up quite a bit of space. It grows in average, well-drained soils in full sun but can tolerate poor or dry soils. See below DescriptionĬommon milkweed is a deciduous, native, herbaceous perennial wildflower in the Apocynaceae (dogbane) family. Visit find a grower in your area.Phonetic Spelling as-KLEE-pee-as seer-ee-AY-kah This plant has low severity poison characteristics. Swamp milkweed is available from nurseries specializing in Florida native plants. Seedlings may flower as early as three to four months. White swamp milkweed is easy to propagate from seed. Light annual pruning may be necessary to remove dead stems. It can tolerate short periods of drought once established, but soil should be kept moist. Garden tips: Swamp milkweed works well in mixed butterfly and wildflower gardens planted along pond edges or similar moist sites. Soil: Moist to wet, well-drained loamy or sandy soils To see where natural populations of Swamp milkweed have been vouchered, visit Hardiness: Zones 8A–10B Native range: Panhandle, north and central peninsula The species epithet perennis is Latin for “perennial.” tuberosa, are known to have medicinal properties. The genus Asclepias is named for Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, because some Asclepias species, such as A. Swamp milkweed ( Asclepias perennis) flowers, buds and leaves. Seeds are flat, brown and born in smooth follicles that split open when ripe. They are relatively long - between 3 and 5 inches - with short petioles and entire margins. Leaves are dark green, elliptic to lanceolate, and glabrous. One One inflorescence can produce up to 25 flowers. Individual flowers have five reflexed corollas and an upright corona - a characteristic typical of milkweed flowers. The flowers are an important nectar source for native bees, wasps and butterflies.įlowers are white to pale pink and born in flat terminal or axillary umbels. The plant contains a milky latex that is toxic to most animals, but Monarch, Queen and Soldier caterpillars are adapted to feed on them despite the chemical defense. Like all members of the Asclepias genus, it is a larval host plant for Monarch, Queen and Soldier butterflies. It typically blooms in late spring through early fall and attracts many pollinators. White swamp milkweed (Asclepias perennis) is an erect, herbaceous perennial wildflower that occurs naturally in floodplain swamps, marshes and wet ditches and along riverbanks. Click on terms for botanical definitions. Pictured above: Swamp milkweed (Asclepias perennis) by Mary Keim.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |