Facts About Asclepias
Tangerine orange (and occasionally red or yellow) blooms appear from early to late summer on this easy-to-care-for perennial. After the initial blooming cycle, deadheading the blooms will encourage a second blooming cycle approximately a month later. Hummingbirds, Monarch butterflies, bees, and other helpful insects are drawn to the blooms, which are rich in nectar and pollen.
The lengthy stems of Asclepias make them ideal for cutting, and they last for a long time. Burn the ends of the cut stems to keep the milky sap from dripping out.
Green fruits emerge after the blooms and burst open to expose seeds with long, silver-white, silky hairs like common milkweed. Dried flower arrangements benefit greatly from the use of them in the design.
Asclepias in Floral Arrangements
The simple, upright stem of the Asclepias tree can grow to a height of 1.5 to 6 feet.
The rhizome of Asclepias is long and thick, and it stores nutrients and produces sprouts on demand. It can generate many stems that are only a few feet apart.
Large, wide, oval leaves with scarlet veins adorn Asclepias. The upper side of the leaves is smooth, while the underside is hairy. Each one is in an opposing position along its stem.
Asclepias develops clusters of drooping purple or pink blooms. From June through August, asclepias produces nectar that attracts butterflies, moths, and bees, who pollinate the plant.
Asclepias produces brown pods as its fruit. To release the fluffy seed, the ripe pods burst open.
Wind distribution is made easier by seed’s hairy filaments. It is common for seed to spread 25 to 100 feet from the mother plant on windy days
Another method of propagation for Asclepias is the division of the rhizome.
The milky sap that covers the entire plant is what gives it its name, Asclepias. Latex, alkaloids, and cardiac glycosides are found in sap. To protect themselves from voracious herbivores, several species of Asclepias release harmful compounds.
The rhizome of Asclepias is long and thick, and it stores nutrients and produces sprouts on demand. It can generate many stems that are only a few feet apart.
Large, wide, oval leaves with scarlet veins adorn Asclepias. The upper side of the leaves is smooth, while the underside is hairy. Each one is in an opposing position along its stem.
Asclepias develops clusters of drooping purple or pink blooms. From June through August, asclepias produces nectar that attracts butterflies, moths, and bees, who pollinate the plant.
Asclepias produces brown pods as its fruit. To release the fluffy seed, the ripe pods burst open.
Wind distribution is made easier by seed’s hairy filaments. It is common for seed to spread 25 to 100 feet from the mother plant on windy days
Another method of propagation for Asclepias is the division of the rhizome.
The milky sap that covers the entire plant is what gives it its name, Asclepias. Latex, alkaloids, and cardiac glycosides are found in sap. To protect themselves from voracious herbivores, several species of Asclepias release harmful compounds.
How to Care for Asclepias
The monarch butterfly's caterpillars consume the leaves of Asclepias and ingest poisons. Butterflies are protected from birds and other predators by toxins that stay in their bodies after they turn into butterflies.
Humans may consume some Asclepias species if they are properly prepared. Boiling the shoots, leaves, pods, and buds at least three times is necessary before eating.
Insects that routinely visit Asclepias are preyed upon by yellow jackets, a kind of wasp. Once the bees and flies enter the blooms, it swoops in and snatches them.
Filling for floating devices in the US during World War II was made from the seed of Asclepias during this time period. Pillows and life jackets still feature the Asclepias seed.
Asclepias nectar was utilized as a sweetener by the Native Americans. Rope and thread were made from fibers extracted from the Asclepias stem.
Paper may be made from Asclepias fibers, and rubber can be made from the milky sap taken from the plant.
Depending on the species and the location, Asclepias can live anywhere from two to twenty-five years in the wild.
Servicing these cities, some cities might not be serviceable at times. Please be advised. Algonac, Allen Park, Almont, Ann Arbor, Armada, Auburn Hills, Barton Hills, Belleville, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bridgewater, Brighton, Brownstown, Canton, Capac, Center Line, Chelsea, Clarkston, Clawson, Clinton Twp, Commerce Township, Davisburg, Dearborn, Detroit, Dexter, Dryden, Eastpointe, Ecorse, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Flat Rock, Fraser, Garden City, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farm, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Shores, Grosse Pointe Woods, Hamtramck, Harper Woods, Harrison Twp. Hartland, Hazel Park, Highland, Highland Park, Holly, Howell, Huntington Woods, Imlay City, Inkster, Keego Harbor, Lake Orion, Lathrup Village, Leonard, Lincoln Park, Livonia, Macomb, Madison Heights, Manchester, Marine City, Marysville, Melvindale, Memphis, Milan, Milford, Mt. Clemens, New Baltimore, New Boston, New Haven, New Hudson, Northville, Novi, Oak Park, Orchard Lake, Ortonville, Oxford, Pleasant Ridge, Plymouth, Pontiac, Port Huron, Ray, Redford, River Rouge, Riverview, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Rockwood, Romeo, Romulus, Roseville, Royal Oak, Saint Clair, Salem, Saline, South Lyon, Southfield, Southgate, St. Clair Shores, Sterling Heights, Sylvan Lake, Taylor, Trenton, Troy, Union Lake, Utica, Walled Lake, Warren, Washington, Waterford, Wayne, West Bloomfield, Westland, White Lake, Whitmore Lake, Wixom, Wolverine Lake, Woodhaven, Wyandotte, Ypsilanti
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