In fall, adding a 3- to 4-inch-deep layer of mulch helps insulate the soil. I’m actually looking for these to use in a flower arrangement. Asclepias physocarpa (balloon milkweed) blooms all year round. They grew to about two inches high, then lost their leaves several months ago. My question is: I am rooting in water a bunch of the stems I cut to use. I frequent it often for the useful info on plants and butterflies. I don’t think I ever saw any other kind of pollinators on them. I ran out of milkweed in Sept., 2015 and bought some which I think had been treated because I lost a lot of cats. This is a tropical variety and my seeds are old, so should I expect 0% germination and order another packet of seeds real quick? Plant Name: Balloon Plant Milkweed Plants. Or should I get another species? Hi Tony I have been given some of the seedlings and hope they do ok over here in the UK . It has attracted a lot of pollinators including the Monarch and several other butterfly species, bees, wasps, hummingbird moth and hummingbirds. I love the butterflies too much to do that! Hi Brenda, in northern regions seeds need to be started early or the seed pods won’t mature. I trim back my tropical milkweed annually since I am in central FL (9b) and it is a perennial which can end up carrying OE. 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. SE PA USA. The flowers are being pollinated by honeybees, several other bees and wasps and by monarch butterflies. Any suggestions where I might be able to find them stateside? $ 7.95. I will be sure to update the page with my results. Miami , fl 33175 (305) 271-7190. I’m in Zone 9B- nursery plant grew well over 6 feet- allowed pods to disperse seeds and also harvested seeds for 2018 season. Thanks for any help. My luck with the Davis, Virginia Silk & Thin Leaf Milkweed, has not been as good, but I haven’t given up, yet. We have gotten a majority of our eggs on common this year too. They lay eggs throughout the season. Fast growers. The first pod (on the potted plant) just split today, with lots of shiny dark brown seeds inside. This past year I planted two species of Gomphocarpus in my garden in northern California (Zone 9): Gomphocarpus physocarpus and G. cancellatus. I also trim ALL of my Milkweed down to 6 to 8 inches in the fall, although I stagger trimming them, by areas, so that I don’t strip all the leaves away at the same time, just in case there might be eggs/caterpillars that will need food! I live in South East Michigan. Hi Mary, if you’re in California you can plant them directly outdoors now or in spring. yes, the seeds are much smaller than common/swamp. Gomphocarpus (= Asclepias) physocarpus is a plant in the milkweed family (in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae of the Apocynaceae, formerly the Asclepiadaceae) often used as an ornamental for the striking yellowish, ball-like fruits. While not required, this helps keep the ground from freezing and thawing and disrupting the roots. Pendulous clusters of small, white flowers with a slight vanilla scent are borne in the leaf axils in summer. (Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow') Instead of the common orange, shades of yellow and gold will brighten your garden and attract many different Butterflies and even Hummingbirds!Blooms for weeks in early summer. Florida has twenty-one milkweed plants native to the state. The Great Black Wasps have probably been there too, but I’ve only seen those on the tropical milkweed. (kinda looks like it in your “open sesame” picture). I have had about a half dozen clippings, & I have only managed to get 1 more to root. We had a very cold winter last year as well. Hi Sherri, don’t worry about physocarpa popping. I was able to germinate several seeds though. I love in illinois and I’m hoping to save the seeds to plant next year. 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. I, too, am very aware of it, & I will cut off a branch(es) from my Milkweed, if I don’t think it looks healthy, any time of the year! I was recently smashing and rinsing aphids from my plant and when finished, about 15 minutes later, had a very unpleasant burning/itching sensation on my arms? I’ve started using toilet paper instead of paper towels to germinate seeds on, because I have had tomatoes seeds send roots into the paper towel and be impossible to get them loose w/o breaking most of them off (I threw those seeds away and started another packet.) Do I now just remove plants from garden as I assume neither plant will come back next year. Good intentions may be harming our monarchs. If so, how did you do it? butterflies lay their eggs on), and that is milkweed. Once the seedlings reach 1", thin out so you have individual plants spaced 36” apart. I have got a balloon milkweed, but I don’t know what the benefits of this plant are and what it’s used for? 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. Perhaps the plants go dormant over your Florida winter? Any help is appreciated. Most people are used to seeing the bright orange flowers of the, non-native, scarlet milkweed ( Asclepias curassavica) and don’t realize that Florida is home to twenty one native milkweeds. I wondered if any seedlings would come up as the seeds in the cotton like fluff blew all over the neighbor. Leaves usually start yellowing toward the base of the plant. I love them!! Yes, wasps are the main pollinators for the Gomphocarpus species…. Some time ago, you mentioned you were going to try propagating Oscar from leaf cuttings. So far it’s working pretty well. I didn’t plant any this summer but have a nice patch of them growing again this summer in the same place they grew last year. Maybe next year? Most milkweed species have sap that is an eye irritant, so always wash your hands after handling. Also… DO NOT LET ANY OF THE MILKY SUBSTANCE GET INTO YOUR EYES!! I live in the sunnier south east, will they be ok overwinter?? Balloon Milkweed Plants. I typically soak the seeds in water for 24 hours before planting to soften the seed coat. Purchase Balloon Milkweed Plants or Seeds from Joyful Butterfly, 2. Butterfly weed … Meanwhile wasps are killing my cats so I brought my 2 new plants inside and picked 12 cats off outside and brought them in!! I’m wondering whats its use. Hi Paul, I’m not sure about the growth cycle in warm regions on the US. Hi Tony, I noticed this AM that I had at least 10 cats on my Scarlett MW and very few leaves left on my 5 plants so I rushed to the nursery and bought 2 more plants, but while there they showed me several physocarpa that look really good but I hesitated. Germinating the seeds in water gave me a lot of Gomphocarpus physocarpus plants this year. Attracted so many Monarch butterfly’ caterpillars- hatched 25 even during Hurricane Irma and let them fly. All of the stems are still green and alive months later, but no leaves. If you leaf mulch the plants before winter they might come back. We grow them annually in zone 5. Our plants are grown specifically to be safe for butterflies/caterpillars. Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, is one of the most available and popular native species of milkweed. The packet said 25 seeds but it looked like more than that. we planted these as 4 ft trees about 11 months ago—they are now about 5.5 feet tall. Seeds and plants are available thru my Amazon affiliate product banners. I’d forgotten all about the hairy ball plant. Asclepias is a genus of herbaceous, perennial, flowering plants known as milkweeds, named for their latex, a milky substance containing cardiac glycosides termed cardenolides, exuded where cells are damaged. Hi Carrie, I would look for eggs in your region from the time you see the first monarch in spring until about mid-October. It is very important to cut the plants down so that they can restart & be fresh, but you don’t have to wait until the spring! they would still grow even with the paper towel on the roots but I get that problem too. Ohio, Marilyn. I started to pull it and then thought better. I am in Florida, so they have been outside most of the time, aside from a couple when I brought all my plants in in to let the potted tropical mw grow back and to keep butterflies from laying eggs on and eating my seedlings. These are some of the fertilizers we’ve used over the years. We do have a lot of those red and black bugs on the trees—maybe they killed the trees? Right now in Lake Forest, California Green Thumb International has these plants in one gallon sizes with balls and all! 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. 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. Who sells balloon plant seeds? Wondered if I should pinch young seedlings to promote branching. I have 2 balloon trees that had tons of balloons. Not much rain water in Texas right now. These plants can hold the O.E. I’ve planted balloons in a pot and hope they will do well, growing through the Utah winter. I’m trying to look for a natural way to fight them. If you don’t find the eggs right away, a hungry predator will. Maybe it was was an allergic reaction? I am in Zone 7b – Burlington, NC. The seeds were planted indoors and sprouted very quickly. About Me. Did you have any success with that? I started some in our porch last spring and was successful (I’m in Minnesota) You can see the results of G. fruticosus, but this also worked for the balloon plant: Starting G. fruticosus seeds in a wet coffee filter. This milkweed species is a rare find in nurseries, so seeds are probably your only option in most regions. Hi Elaina, your best bet is probably finding a local nursery that sells butterfly plants…good luck! I collected seeds using a baggie to place balls in before they opened . Plant Name: Balloon Plant Milkweed Plants (Gomphocarpus physocarpus or Asclepias physocarpa), Quick Info: Monarch Butterfly host plant (perennial, quick growing annual in colder areas), Perennial in USDA zones 9-10, annual in colder areas, Seed pods are round balls with soft bristles. Just bought from local farmers stand . You can also overwinter plants indoors: Hello! by susan.mahr. I live Northern California (San Fran Bay Area) Zone 9. The first cutting rooted quickly (I passed it on), but after that, rooting them wasn’t so easy. do they need to come indoors??? 3″-4″ and stayed that way for a few weeks, but, started dying off. There are hundreds of milkweed varieties, but only a few are sustainable in Florida. Hi Dana, I was not able to root physocarpus in water, but I am still going to try planting cuttings in soil (with rooting hormone) at the end of the season. I was lucky, though, as my eye has healed up without having any long term complications that I could of had! I live in Florida zone 10, but I was also wondering if I should start them in pots, because our soil is very sandy. In most regions of the US physocarpus is an annual. Or?? Otherwise, you could overwinter indoors or start seeds indoors next spring. I have ordered 4 different ones… Davis, Virginia Silk, Wild Cotton, Family Jewels & Thin Leaf Milkweed. I pulled out all our plants today but did make a table centerpiece with a few of the stalks to get more seeds in the next couple weeks. I think, if I do this next fall, I will use a heat pad! Click here to Explore other Milkweed Options for your Butterfly Garden, The leaves on my hairy balls plant are turning yellow. Recently, I’ve also noticed monarchs and hummingbirds sipping nectar from it. Hi Steve, you can try mulching and see if it comes back, but it’s a risk. Just wondering about setting a few out in the flower beds since its a hot day. Very interesting plant- now a monarch hatchery, use cuttings to allow them munch, pulpate, transition into monarchs. View …. The common milkweeds that I just took out of the fridge Saturday are germinating already. Eucalyptus deglupta, also Called Rainbow Eucalyptus, in Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, Fla. Today, visitors can meander through the lush grounds and admire botanicals like Cuban Petticoat Palm, Buddha Belly Bamboo, and Balloon Milkweed. (perennis); and balloon milkweed (Asclepias physocarpa). (The swarms of monarchs I had a few months ago seem to be gone for now. I’m also adding showy,whorled, and common milkweed to the butterfly, tropical, and swamp milkweed I already have. I just bought this milkweed started from a cutting based on the description that it is one of the “most popular” with Monarchs. Now I’m reading how sensitive to cooler climates it is. ** Typically blooms 3rd year I was lucky enough to buy it at a tourist attraction , the Filoli estates in Mt. Very great information you have here as always. Hi Jacqui, thanks for the UK info and the scandalous new nickname. A friend of mine just cleaned out his garden and told me that he was going to give me some milkweed seeds. The Balloon Milkweed (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) is an unusual perennial for Florida butterfly gardens. I’ve grown tropical milkweed for 6 years now, and have nothing but good things to say about how it has attracted and supported monarchs in our home and garden…there are also simple solutions to the potential problems associated with this species: Is Tropical Milkweed Killing Monarch Butterflies? The little monarch caterpillars seem to like it. Thanks. Nice fine DeeDee! Shop a huge online selection at eBay.com. this summer I have 3 small balls starting , but , 50 to 70 buds and flowers blooming…. If you have noticed other pollinators on the goose plant, please leave a comment below. Luckily, the ripest ones are on a potted plant that I can bring in, but I was hoping to cut it way back for the winter so it will fit in the house . Aquatic milkweed grows in full sun in soil that is continuously wet. Don’t remove them before, or they may not be viable. Can anyone give any suggestions on what to do or what I am doing wrong? z: 3 to 9, Found in hill prairies to open woodlands, from Canada to Florida, east of the Rocky Mountians. Monarch’s plight. The plants grew approx. Great plants that attract monarchs, however be very careful when cutting or trimming. If it’s not, you would need to overwinter the plants indoors or start seeds indoors early next spring. I know some florists use them in actual flower arrangements too. 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? The Virginia Native Plant Society weighs in on a recent NYTimes article on the problem of tropical milkweed and non-native milkweeds like Gomphocarpus physocarpa: http://vnps.org/non-native-milkweed-helpful-harmful/. They’re also frequent visitors to our swamp and tropical milkweed plants. I too live in Houston. BTW, all kinds of wasps *loved* the flowers. The only drawback from Annie’s, is that they have to spray them before shipping & you must keep them away from butterflies, caterpillars… any pollinators, for a minimum of 3 months. The only thing I saw enjoying the nectar was a lot of ants! It’s a fast growing milkweed and we grow it annually in zone 5. good luck! I’ve been looking at floral wholesalers, but not having any luck finding any….Thanks!! (Houston, Texas, zone 9a) It liked the weather & jumped in size, so I started taking cuttings. Phone: (803) 374-2591 contact@joyfulbutterfly.com, He has made everything beautiful in its time... Ecclesiastes 3:11, © 2014 Joyful Butterfly | Website Designed by, Purple Milkweed Seeds 20+ (Asclepias purpurascens) US Native Seeds, Please click here to see the complete growing conditions and details of Balloon Plant Milkweed plants in our full description under Gomphocarpus physocarpus seeds…, How to Cold Stratify Seeds for Your Butterfly Garden. What about bottled spring water? The seeds are smaller than I remember! Just yesterday I noted a “weed”. Thanks Linda. I didn’t see any Monarchs at the flowers, but they did leave their eggs. How long will it take for the pods to be ripe? You are welcome Kerry! I have a tall plant …had the flowers and still have a few but…don’t see any pods coming…. As I am wanting to purchase other kinds of milkweed, could you tell me from where you buy yours? There are hundreds of different milkweeds, but a few that are easily found here in Florida are scarlet milkweed (Asclepias; red or yellow, they are both called scarlet), giant milkweed (Calatropis), orange milkweed (Tuberosa), white milkweed (Perennis) and balloon milkweed (Asclepias physocarpa). It is also called balloon plant and when picked green the inflated seed pods dry well. Hi CorryAnne, they are only cold hardy to zone 8, but are fast growing annuals…, Thanks for your reply Tony! I bet coffee filters are good too ’cause the roots probably can’t grow into them. It produces clusters of 1/2" wide cream to white star shaped flowers with a purplish 'eye' and the flowers attract butterflies along … good luck! Antelope Horn Milkweed Plants (Asclepias asperula), Narrowleaf Milkweed Plants (Asclepias fascicularis). They sometimes get Danaus plexippus in the UK and a few people raise them. Milkweed plants survive the winter in cold regions by going dormant. 1. I am so looking forward to seeing how this interesting Milkweed is going to do! Water regularly allowing the soil to go nearly dry between each watering. Soak seeds in water 24 hours before planting, Can sustain lots of munching monarch caterpillars late season, Long stems with pods make amazing table centerpiece, Last viable milkweed species before fall takes over, Colder hardiness zones must start seeds indoors for hopes of a seed harvest, or, Flowers aren’t super showy, but still pretty, Fewer pollinators use this than native milkweeds, Start seeds indoors 1-2 months before avg last frost, Seeds germinate in less than one week with heat and moisture, Grow this as a back border so it doesn’t shade your other butterfly plants, Staking may be required if not cut back in perennial zones, Don’t force open seed pods…they will start to open when they are ready. It hasn’t taken a tree shape as the photo shows, but they do get 8 – 9 ft. tall. 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. Plant seeds 1/8" deep and 36” apart, using 3 seeds per hole. Virus carried by infected Monarchs. Hi Sharon, I would find another gardener/nursery with first hand growing experience in your region to see what has worked well for them. I bought several plants of this species last year, 2013, and enjoyed growing it. Hi Bob, year old seeds should still be fresh. Last winter I had caterpillars into December & chrysalis’s that hatched throughout our winter! …and yes, I am also interested in growing native milkweeds in my garden but have not had any success so far with A. fascicularis, I intend to try again with A. speciosa next spring. There are several other types of milkweeds but this is a somewhat unique milkweed and is one of the more favored host plants of the Monarch butterflies. That’s also why I’m planting the G. Physocarpus; it should be able to grow faster than they can eat it — first year A. syriaca might not be able to stay ahead of them. Other than that, Annie’s always ships healthy plants & they arrive in great condition! I will have to rescue the plants from them in about a week. Update: the Gomphocarpus is inside now, and the seedpods are continuing to enlarge. 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. They are all dry now, but the branches are dry too, as if they are dying. It came in a 4″ pot and is about the same height. I have over 20 of them growing in my yard. I’m sure it won’t bloom this year- we’re mid-way through summer, but my concern is will it have enough time to grow a strong enough root system before frost comes (December.) I ended up using neem oil and that works but don’t know the damage to caterpillars from the oil. Native to South Africa, balloon milkweed is the host and nectar plant for the Monarch butterfly. The gomphocarpus and other exotic milkweeds do not have this effect. Keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds germinate in 10 - 20 days. Hi Sunila, while it does make an interesting showpiece in the garden, or cut for a vase, our main use for it is to attract monarch butterflies to lay their eggs on it. I’m not sure if the plant gives off a scent/pheromone or if it is the milky sap – but it works. Ours have thrived when planted directly, but not so much in containers. It grows so big here in NZ that I call it a “testicle tree”. I was wondering if these can be dried and used in dry flower arrangements. Do I need to add, or avoid, any Miracle Grow type products? If the plants were treated with pesticides, I would suggest cutting them back so that healthy new grow can emerge. Hi Matt, I would start them about 2 months before direct planting. We are a zone 8 here so I’m hopeful! I have noted that many plants have caterpillars on them when removing them, so I guess that’s why it’s of interest here… Anyway, proceed with caution! The name physocarpa comes from the Greek physa meaning bladder and karpos, fruit, referring to the … I have never seen a monarch take nectar from either species so surprised by your report! Most all of them are 6+ feet tall and filled with large maturing seed pods. For these reasons it is frequently stocked in nurseries around the state. Farmer said they spread by seed for her. I have had a huge issue with Aphids. trim back but leave a couple of growing bubs on each stem the way you want the plant to grow. Thanks and MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Spicebush Swallowtails gathering nectar from the pink flowers of Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata variety pulchra). Wife wants large common milkweed plants in nursery pots to grow caterpillars on this year so I’m getting an early start. You can start them indoors or try spring sowing seeds. The plant is related to milkweed and attracts bees and wasps making it a good choice for growing near the veggie garden. Does that mean I can use for eggs and cats next summer? Thx! Even though I flooded my eye with water for multiple times, several minutes each time, I still had to go to a Emergency Clinic, which put me thru another serious eye rinse process… they gave me some kind of pain killing eye drops when I first got there, which eased the burning & tricked me into believing that I was thru the worst of it, but, within a few hours, the horrific burning came back, & my eyes had become so sensitive to light that I sat in a dark room with dark sunglasses on & even the dimmest of lights felt like a dagger in my eye! 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