Milkweeds, Asclepias, Asclepiads, Asclepiadoideae

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

A lot of us are growing milkweeds. I wanted to have a thread here where anyone can talk about milkweeds, which species they're growing, problems they are having, whatever, maybe a species you really want or something. I'm growing around 30 Asclepias and also Asclepiads. This thread is welcome to all lovers of the greater Asclepiadoideae so feel liberated to talk about Hoodias and Huernias all you please here. I'd like everyone to feel free to use it to talk with whoever, whenever, I'm ok with topic change if need be. I was just looking today and a few of my winter sown, native milkweeds are beginning to sprout. There was the verticillata, arenaria, and pumila. I'm growing some tropical Asclepiads indoors under lights. There is Gomphocarpus fruticosa and physocarpus, Oxypetalum caerulea and solanoides, Calotropis procera, Dregea sinensis and Asclepias curassavica. I'd love to hear what all of you are growing and doing. I repeat myself, feel free to talk here whenever with whoever! I have other projects going and won't be here much of the time but anyone feel free to sound off whenever. I do spend a lot of time here at gardenweb! Most of you can vouch for that lol! The tropicals....... my Gomphocarpus cancellatus seeds and Calotropis gigantea seeds didn't germinate. Calotropis seeds are easy enough to find, but the G. cancellatus, very rare! Anyone needing milkweed IDs is welcome too, we can do that, Jay

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Jay 6a Chicago
Original Author

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

These are a few of my winter sown milkweeds that have germinated. Well, this is what they will look like. A seedling just looks like, a seedling. The Orbea is just eye candy.

Ascepias viridis green milkweed.

Asclepias viridis.

Asclepias stenophylla.

Asclepias stenophylla.

Asclepias hallii.

Asclepias hallii.

Orbea semota.

Oxypetalum caerulea getting ready to flower way too soon.

Calotropis procera. These take their time growing. A snail's pace!

I promise to be here for anyone who needs help. I'll keep everyone updated on what I'm doing. I won't dissapear for months then come back and leave 1 comment and dissapear for more months again lol. I'll be around Lord willing. It's my wish that everyone try to grow all their native Asclepias species so to that end I'd love to share seeds with anyone who wants them, once my plants start producing them! Monarchs are a big driving factor you know.

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Comments (8)

Jay 6a Chicago
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I'm doing this because I love Asclepiadoideae, and I want to give a good representation of the amazing subfamily! Trading welcomed, requests welcomed. Any species in the subfamily from A. syriaca to Dischidia. They are all jewels!

Asclepias curassavica, Gomphocarpus frutocosa and physocarpus.

Calotropis procera.

Lower left, Tithonia. Lower right, Dregea sinensis.

I've ended up with 3 Calotropis proceras, but considering how big they get 3 is enough.

Oxypetalums, they have flower buds already, turquiose flowers ya'll! I read that micorrhizal fungi were really good for milkweeds. Boy were they right! Do it!

https://www.mpgranch.com/dispatches/milkweed-fungal-perspective
Jay 6a Chicago
Original Author
7 years ago
These are the 3 species that have germinated so far....

Asclepias verticillata.

Asclepias pumila.

Asclepias arenaria.

I'm growing almost all of Illinois native milkweeds except for 4 very rare species. I realize it doesn't make sense to grow the arid loving western milkweeds, but there are a few that I'm trying out that technically aren't native to my area. A few of those would be A. cordifolia, A. humistrata, and A. latifolia. They are gorgeous, I couldn't help myself lol. I might be doing lights every winter from now on so it looks like Stapeliads might be on the horizon. Just so everyone remembers. Asclepiadoideae flowers are the most structurally complex out of all the dicots, comparable, but different to the orchids which rule the monocots. There's plenty of time to talk about all the other species I'm growing.
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Jay 6a Chicago
Original Author
7 years ago
I just discovered this subspecies of Asclepias incarnata in the last month. Very nice looking. It's on next years must have list lol.

Asclepias incarnata pulchra.

Asclepias incarnata pulchra.

I heard that in some rare cases syriaca and sullivantii will hybridize. Thank you Jeff for coming through with the variegata and perennis seeds! I might end up with more variegatas than I know what to do with too! Every single Asclepias species is a jewel, so noone ever lacks nearby exquisite beauty!
Jay 6a Chicago
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I'm growing a large amount of new Asclepias species along with hundreds of new native plant species. Placement of all these plants is going to take a good amount of thought.

I want to grow this one so bad, and it's so sad how rare and threatened it is.....Asclepias meadii!

Pink vein beauty Asclepias viridis, green milkweed. I think I'm growing it? Hard keeping track lol!

Dregea volubis. Wow!

Straight from the twilight zone, a liana Fockea.

I love this Dischidia.

The everseeing eyes! Brachystelma barberae!
Jay 6a Chicago
Original Author
7 years ago
I was just thinking how much of a good oprion trading and gifting plants can be right now. I have more seedlings than I can use, Oxypetalum, Dregea, curassavica, Gomphocapus. I'd be looking for anything unusal that I don't have but want.
Jay 6a Chicago
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
http://www.cactus-mall.com/stapeliad/pollin.html

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318570516_A_revised_phylogenetically-based_concept_of_Ceropegia_Apocynaceae.
arbordave (SE MI)
4 years ago
Hi Jay - I'm curious how your pumila turned out? Does this species grow well at your location, and how much will it spread over time? One source says that "it can be aggressive in highly fertile soils with good soil texture".