1 entry found.
Common Name: Butterfly Weed, Milkweed, Silkweed, Pleurisy-Root, Chieger Flower
Botanical Name: Asclepias tuberosa (a-SKLAY-pee-us tew-be-RO-sa)
Decorative Life: From 5-12 days.
Post Harvest Care
- Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. Can last up to 5 times longer in flower food verses water.
Harvest Instructions: Harvest when almost fully open.
- Member of the Asclepiadaceae (milkweed) family.
- Native to North America, ME to FL & AZ.
- Related species include wax plant (Hoya) and stephanotis.
- Loose clusters of 1/2 inch flowers occur at stem ends.
- Stems leafy, 18-24 inches long.
- Plant is a herbaceous perennial, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined.
- Flowers are not fragrant.
Availability: Summer to fall, mid winter.
Flower Color: Mostly orange but also red and yellow
- Named for Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine. Long known for its medicinal properties associated with the roots.
- Many flowers occur at the ends of leafy stems in inflorescences called cymes.
- Unlike most other members of the milkweed family, this species does not possess a milky sap so stem plugging by this sap is not a problem.
Personal Experiences: The cultivar 'Beatrix' is a particularly beautiful variety, consisting of much larger orange flowers than 'Tuberosa'. (Pete and Jan Brobbel)