showy milkweed

Asclepias speciosa

showy milkweed - Asclepias speciosa 07JL08-03

characteristics

Perennial with erect stems, oval to round green leaves and spherical clusters of very fragrant white to pink flowers. Flowers are star-like with tan coloured hoods and in-curved horns. Both stems and leaves contain a bitter latex.

72,000 seeds/pound; starts from seed, container, cuttings

T SSN H W sun soil H2O fire N2 pH summer fall flower (seed)
P W 1.2 0.3 S F-M-C M ••• - 5.0-7.0 green grey-yellow pink-white

habitat

Floodplains, roadsides and ditches.

uses

Larval host plant for monarch butterflies.

Currently used medicinally for heart contractions.

Silky hairs of seed pods were used as filler for aviation life jackets during WW II.

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common > name = have on site
T = type: A = annual | B = biennial | P = perennial | SS = subshrub | D = deciduous | C = coniferous
██ = cold stratify | ██ = cold stratify & scarify | ██ = plant directly | ██ = scarify | ██ = not from seed
SSN = season: C = cool | W = warm | Y = late
H = height (in metres) | W = width (in metres) | B = bunch | S = sod | SB = sod/bunch
sun: S = full sun | S/PS = sun or partial shade | PS = partial shade | SH = full shade
soil: F = fine | M = medium | C = coarse
H2O = moisture requirement: D = dry | M = moist | W = wet | Z = aquatic
fire = fire tolerance: - = unknown | X = none | • = some | •• = moderate | ••• = high tolerance
N2 = nitrogen fixing: • = yes
summer = foliage colour | fall = foliage (stem) colour | flower (seed) = flower (seed / fruit) colour, if conspicuous
pH = acidity - alkalinity