Good luck with your new plants…, Hi, Tony. You could always try and get some seeds as back up. Pendulous clusters of small, white flowers with a slight vanilla scent are borne in the leaf axils in summer. yes, the seeds are much smaller than common/swamp. Glad to hear you are ok! In Savannah, we have had them return slowly from the previous two winters, but we are always hedging our bets, so to speak, and rooting cuttings, too. ** Typically blooms 3rd year They are not cold hardy to your zone so I’d be surprised if they came back, but gardening is full of mysteries and miracles so it’s definitely possible. This milkweed species is a rare find in nurseries, so seeds are probably your only option in most regions. I brought in four last fall. Hi Linda, please check out the zone info on the page to see if it is winter hardy in your region. The seeds are smaller than I remember! These are some of the fertilizers we’ve used over the years. Ohio, Marilyn. Do those need cold stratification too? The pods did not mature in time before the cold came, even tho we had a loooong warm fall. Hello, Anna. Hi Judy, congrats on your physocarpa seedlings! Thanks! Good luck with your plants! You could overwinter the plant indoors though: How well do G Physocarpus do in the garden in our short but very-long-day Minnesota summers? Any recommendations? How quickly do they germinate? Balloon Milkweed. I’m not sure if the plant gives off a scent/pheromone or if it is the milky sap – but it works. Balloon Milkweed is a vigorous heat and sun loving tropical African shrub that is grown as a dieback perennial except in areas with mild winter climates. I love the butterflies too much to do that! If you want the G. physocarpus seeds to germinate faster, soak them in water for 24 hours before planting. Does that mean I can use for eggs and cats next summer? I was wondering if these can be dried and used in dry flower arrangements. Scott Davis oversees the Monarch Milkweed Initiative at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. If you leaf mulch the plants before winter they might come back. But I was able to cut the stems and have had them in water inside and now the pods are finally opening. Germinating the seeds in water gave me a lot of Gomphocarpus physocarpus plants this year. That’s good to hear. It is a native milkweed of South Africa and in 2001 its name w… The main purpose of this comment is to urge caution around Gomphocarpus physocarpus, it is a voracious weed in this part of the world and has become an increasing problem on farmland, roadsides and in conservation areas. If starting them indoors how many seeds should I put in a pot? As for finding less eggs, those predators are relentless in August. It is also called Cotton-bush,Hairy Balls, Oscar, and Swan Plant. I’ve planted balloons in a pot and hope they will do well, growing through the Utah winter. Or would I have to bring it in to overwinter? I forgot to mention that I live in Long Beach, CA. We also bought 2 of the Tropical Milkweed and the butterlies are ignoring those. I ran out of milkweed in Sept., 2015 and bought some which I think had been treated because I lost a lot of cats. Antelope Horn Milkweed Plants (Asclepias asperula), Narrowleaf Milkweed Plants (Asclepias fascicularis). I only have about 3 plants left and they are now in a grow pot outside, however, they do not seem to be growing very fast, if at all over the past few weeks. Update: the Gomphocarpus is inside now, and the seedpods are continuing to enlarge. I bet coffee filters are good too ’cause the roots probably can’t grow into them. It made a small annual tree, of sorts, behind a back flower bed. Food for thought…. The most frequent visitor I’ve noticed up north is the blue mud dauber (black wasp). If pesticides weren’t used, you could always try raising a few indoors on stem cuttings after thoroughly rinsing the milkweed…good luck! They sometimes get Danaus plexippus in the UK and a few people raise them. I have balloon plants reseeding all over a large lot in Oakland, CA and am giving away the seedlings. It has attracted a lot of pollinators including the Monarch and several other butterfly species, bees, wasps, hummingbird moth and hummingbirds. this summer I have 3 small balls starting , but , 50 to 70 buds and flowers blooming…. Plant seeds 1/8" deep and 36” apart, using 3 seeds per hole. Or do I have this all wrong? The first pod (on the potted plant) just split today, with lots of shiny dark brown seeds inside. Yes, the caterpillars prefer other Milkweed in my garden, but do eat the Giant as well. good luck! I’m actually looking for these to use in a flower arrangement. I have stratified and have sprouted some common milkweed which is local and I will not need to trim, but it is slower growing so won’t do much this summer – and I can’t find that at local nurseries. Hi Elaina, your best bet is probably finding a local nursery that sells butterfly plants…good luck! moisture: Medium to DRY soil. (I was hoping that plant would actually get to bloom this year) We’re still finding a few eggs on the physocarpus seedlings (about 2 feet tall now) too. I didn’t see any Monarchs at the flowers, but they did leave their eggs. they would still grow even with the paper towel on the roots but I get that problem too. Brenda Naylor I bought 8 of the balloon plants at a nursery were I live in central Florida.Iknew nothing about them accept they were milkweed for monarch then I saw the balls come out and went on the site.Will Ineed to start seeds in doors? Butterfly weed … You’ll have an interesting centerpiece and the seeds should ripen to maturity. Thanks Linda. The first cutting rooted quickly (I passed it on), but after that, rooting them wasn’t so easy. Hi Jessica, if you want bushier growth, I would pinch back the top leaves, I just found the packet of G. physocarpus seeds that I bought a year ago and I planted them. I would guess it would be fine to take cuttings to start new plants, but again, it’s hard to say without having all the details. z: 3 to 9, Found in hill prairies to open woodlands, from Canada to Florida, east of the Rocky Mountians. I love in illinois and I’m hoping to save the seeds to plant next year. Learn about Florida's milkweed species. Any tips on it’s desired soil moisture or other? Shop great deals on Milkweed Full Sun Perennial Flower & Plant Seeds. Don’t remove them before, or they may not be viable. I have a dozen or so plants in 4.5″ geranium pots, and a few in 6″ pots, and a few still in little Dixie cups that I’m moving up to bigger pots today. Hi Marck, native is important for creating & maintaining a healthy ecosystem, but non-natives can also be beneficial for monarchs and other garden visitors. The birds kept eating the caterpillars so I put a wire fence around & on top of it so that the butterflies could still get in but the birds can’t. Here are some ideas that can yield instant results: How to stop Aphids from taking over Milkweed, Hi, I live in Los Angeles and my neighbors milkweed, hairy balls, are starting to seed. Or will they last a few years like temperate-climate varieties? Hi Bob, year old seeds should still be fresh. Native to South Africa, this plant is an invasive in tropical climates, but in my zone 6-7 area, winter cold keep it in check. If possible, it’s always best to have a healthy supply of milkweed (home grown) before raising monarchs. Keep us posted on your plants…, Hi Shirley, you are probably correct about the rooting issue relating to cool water temperatures. Plant Name: Balloon Plant Milkweed Plants. It’s a fast growing milkweed and we grow it annually in zone 5. good luck! Three Asclepias species have been introduced to the United States: tropical milkweed (A. curassavica), African milkweed (A. fruticosa), and swan or balloon plant (A. physocarpa). And now, I am warning you, as well as any one that should read this, to do the same! The reason you shouldnt mix natives and non natives that are this closely related is that they will hybridize and you’ll lose native population. Hi Paul, I’m not sure about the growth cycle in warm regions on the US. Thanks a lot. If so, how did you do it? If they did, it didn’t give you much of a head start. Yes, this is also a continuous growing species that should be cut back periodically to prevent the spread of OE and other pathogens…, The balls on a couple of my balloon plants have been full-sized for well over a month. I would leave them outside to develop until just before your first frost. My ground is very sandy and usually pretty dry! I live in zone 9b in Southern California. Do I now just remove plants from garden as I assume neither plant will come back next year. Should I go ahead and sow mine now or wait til spring? Butterfly milkweed ( A. tuberosa) is the most available of the native species and is suitable for use in many parts of Florida. So far it’s working pretty well. I think, if I do this next fall, I will use a heat pad! Hummingbirds have been pollinating my Gomphocarpus physocarpus. In pairs. I was able to find the hairy balls milkweed at a local native nursery last summer and it did really well in my garden. Milkweed plants survive the winter in cold regions by going dormant. I don’t understand why some of the caterpillars are falling off and walking away from the plant now. Whorled Milkweed. (Asclepias physocarpa). trim back but leave a couple of growing bubs on each stem the way you want the plant to grow. One more time: starting seeds indoors early will give you a huge jump on the season and is a must for northern gardeners. Wife wants large common milkweed plants in nursery pots to grow caterpillars on this year so I’m getting an early start. sun: Full to Part Sun. Until one particularly large swamp milkweed plant started producing flower buds, these were the plants where we found the most eggs. Thanks for the tip on pruning late spring for a bushier plant as I did have to tie it up a couple of times! Should I let the lady bugs and aphids duke it out or spray the plant with a hose to remove the aphids? you probably have an idea as to which one. bloom: Late summer white flowers. (Gomphocarpus physocarpus or Asclepias physocarpa) Quick Info: Monarch Butterfly host plant (perennial, quick growing annual in colder areas) Add to Wishlist. Newly hatched caterpillars are born famished, and as they balloon in size, can strip entire plants bare of leaves in a matter of days. Hi Darlene, physocarpa is cold hardy to your region so there is no need to extend the growing season by starting indoors. 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