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Asclepias
Milkweed / Silkweed
ASCLEPIADACEAE
Herbaceous Perennial
Plants contain a milky sap
that can irritate.
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Asclepias.
curassavica
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Asclepias ~ var
'Silky Gold' |
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Asclepias form a large
genus of perennial plants (and a few shrubs) that produce flowers in
such abundance that they attract large numbers of beneficial and
attractive insects to the garden, including bees and butterflies. The
flowers arrive in midsummer and continue being produced until autumn, in
a range of colours from purple-pinks through deep-pinks and orange-reds
to yellows. The flowers are followed by seed-pods containing seeds with
long silky hairs.
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| Asclepias. curassavica
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Form: Evergreen,
bushy, tuberous, sub-shrub
Height: 3ft (1m)
Spread: 3ft (1m)
Foliage: Having 6in (15cm) long, narrowly oval leaves.
Flowers: Through summer and into autumn producing umbels of small,
but showy, 5-horned, orange-red flowers with yellow centres, followed by
narrowly ovoid, pointed seed pods 3in (8cm) long.
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Asclepias. hallii
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Form: An
upright, tuberous, perennial
(Can be invasive, spreading by
underground suckers)
Height: 3ft (1m)
Spread: 20in (50cm)
Foliage: Having 5in (13cm) long, oblong leaves.
Flowers: In summer producing umbels of small, 5-horned, dark-pink
flowers, followed by 6in (15cm) long, narrowly-ovoid, seed pods
enclosing silky seeds.
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Asclepias. physocarpa
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See: Gomphocarpus. physocarpus
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Asclepias. syriaca
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Form: An
upright, tuberous, perennial (Can be invasive, spreading by underground suckers)
Height: 3ft (1m)
Spread: 3ft (1m)
Foliage: Having 8in (20cm) long, oval leaves
Flowers: In summer producing umbels of small, 5 horned,
pinkish-purple flowers, on arching flower-stems. Followed by 6in (15cm)
long seed pods, containing silky seeds.
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Asclepias. tuberosa
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Form: An
erect,
tuberous, perennial
Height: 30in (75cm)
Spread: 18in (45cm)
Foliage: Lanceolate leaves.
Flowers: In summer, producing small horned, bright orange-red
flowers, followed by narrow pointed seed pods up to 6in (15cm) long.
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Asclepias.
x Gay Butterflies Mixed
© Thompson & Morgan
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Form: A hardy,
erect,
tuberous, perennial
US Zones: 4 5 6 7 8 9 (Cannot be sent to
Hawaii)
Height: 24in (60cm)
Spread: 18in (45cm)
Foliage: Lanceolate leaves.
Flowers: In summer, producing heads of small 5 horned, flowers in
scarlet, gold, orange, pink and bicolours. Followed by narrow pointed seed pods up to 6in (15cm) long.
Special Features: Flowers in First Year from seed,
blooming in 12-16 weeks of sowing.
Ideal For: Borders, Cut
Flowers, Dried Flowers
Sowing
Instructions: Sow in trays, pots, etc of good seed compost in a
propagator or warm place to maintain an optimum temperature of 65-70oF
(18-20oC). Sowing Depth: 1/16 inch (1.5mm). Sowing Time:
February to July. Germination can be slow. After sowing, seal container
in a polythene bag and leave at 60-65oF (15-18oC)
for 2 weeks, then place in a refrigerator (not freezer) for 3-6 weeks.
After this return to the recommended germination temperature. If
germination does not occur in 6-10 weeks return to the fridge for a
further 3-6 weeks. Examine regularly whilst in the fridge and remove
immediately the seeds show signs of germinating.
Transplant
seedlings when large enough to handle into 3in (7.5cm) pots. Acclimatise
young plants to outd class=buttondownoor conditions before planting out 18in (45cm)
apart.
Prefers a
moist, well drained soil in full sun.
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Cultivation: -
Most grow well in
well-drained, fertile soil, in full sun.
Asclepias. incarnata
prefers moist conditions
Frost tender varieties
should be grown in the cool greenhouse or conservatory.
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Propagation: -
Seed should be sown in
spring in containers in the cold-frame.
Divide clumps in spring to produce new plants |
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Fully Hardy to Frost Tender
Pests & Diseases: -
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This page was last updated on
12/03/2005
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