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The Seed Exchange

Need: Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias Curassavica)

12 years ago

My husband just read me an article about Tropical Milkweed from PopSci Magazine that said a pregnant monarch that is infected with a parasite (O.E) prefers to lay it's eggs on Tropical Milkweed for the monarch cats to eat. Something is in Tropical Milkweed that kills off the parasites transferred from Mom monarch to caterpillar.

Wants: Extra amounts of Tropical Milkweed and Antigonon Leptopus

This is my list of haves:

Veggies & Annuals

Hokkaido Black Watermelon

Hale's Best Cantaloupe

Cape Daisy, Orange

Celosia, Red Velvet

Cleome, Rose Queen

California Poppy, Rose Chiffon Thai Silk

Peony Poppy, Pink

Strawflower, Tall Mixed

Zinnia, Purity

Zinnia, Pink and Purple Mix

Ammi Majus

Perennial/Biennials

Dame's Rocket, Violet

Echinacea, Pallida (have extras)

Echinacea, Paradoxa (have extras)

Hollyhock, Soft Pink (have extras)

Milkweed, Ice Ballet (have extras)

Shasta Daisy, Alaska (have extras)

Bubble envelopes only please.

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Comments (8)

carol23_gw
12 years ago
I have lots of Asclepias curassavica seed collected. Would love to trade for your Ammi majus
nel.nucifera
Original Author
12 years ago
sending you an email. :)
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You have some stuff I'm interested in. I'll shoot you an email tomorrow. I also just put a Mexican oregano plant and an Uruguayan firecracker plant in my front yard. If I can figure out how to mail them safely, I might be able to send you some cuttings.
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Hi Tiff..last year I didn't know it was an annual, and winter, I mean Winter-sowed some seeds I had purloined from a local park. Nothing germinated. This year I held off till end April, early May, and I have sprouts too. Our local park had thousands of monarchs all over these things, such a beautiful red,orange,yellow profusion, that I was determined to have some for my b'fly bed. The seedpods come up like a regular milkweed, so I'm hoping to add some fresher seeds to my dwindling collection this fall. I collected the seeds mid September, on about 2-3' plants, so I'm hoping to see bloom on these babies..mid August (?) I'll keep you posted on how they do. Wendy.
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I agree with everything dbarron says and would just add to it. These two plants have totally, completely, enormously, almost opposite needs and habits, except that they both want sun and plenty of it. Tuberosa is a long-lived perennial of the temperate zone IF it has well-drained soil. Over-watered or in poorly drained soil, it will suffer root-rot. You cannot keep it in a pot, it has to be planted out in your zone. Curassavica is a tropical species and will not overwinter for you except in a greenhouse or greenhouse-like conditions. It likes lots of water and it exhausts nutrients rapidly, so probably needs feeding to prosper. The eBayer who told you it was hardy to your zone was way off base. As to your original question, why is tuberosa small and falling over while curassavica is tall and erect, that's partly because of light (not enough for tuberosa) and mostly because of habit. Curassavica always grows straight up and erect, and it grows, as dbarron says, like a weed, maturing in its first year to flowering and fruiting (in fact, it does so half-way through its first year). Tuberosa is one of the slowest species of milkweed to mature, never flowering in its first year, often taking up to three years to reach maturity. But tuberosa, if you give it a good sunny spot with decent soil, will reward you for a lifetime, whereas curassavica will evaporate within a year or two.
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Thank you Frankie! yes it is him. Not so happy that I planted it and am feeding them instead of the monarchs. But honestly, the monarch larva were more plentiful on the pink swamp milkweed than the A. tuberosa, which has been hands down, one of my favorite plants. Started it from seed, rescued the babies, moved and passed along many generations of them. I have had more dragonflies this year at my new garden, and a few swallowtails. its not much of a garden yet though.
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terrene
12 years ago
Nel, the Asclepias species (milkweed) contain cardenolides, cardiac glycosides that are sequestered by the Monarch larvae. This makes them toxic to mammals and birds (but not invertebrates).

Some species have more cardenolides than others. Asclepias curassavica has exceptionally high levels and there is some evidence that this also helps them resist the OE parasite. It is also one of the prettiest milkweeds, IMO!

I've got plenty of A. curassavica seeds, as well as other milkweeds, and many seeds for SASBE if you want to check my exchange list.
bossmareny6a
12 years ago
Hi, I have A. currasavica 'Silky Deep Red' collected 2 weeks ago and is dry & ready to go. I would love some Ammi majus, even if only a little. Mine grew to 5' this year and a single plant had six Monarch crhysalis' on it, two of which we hatched indoors for my 2yo son to enjoy. Supposedly hardy to z7; I bring mine in and it does fine dormant in a pot til Spring. It is one of my favorite plants, even without the bonus of the Monarchs! Unfortunately GW won't let me post a photo of the cultivar I have, but its easy enough to google 'Silky Deep Red' if you are interested.
nel.nucifera
Original Author
12 years ago
Have these left
Veggies & Annuals
Hokkaido Black Watermelon
Hale's Best Cantaloupe
Cape Daisy, Orange
Celosia, Red Velvet
Cleome, Rose Queen
California Poppy, Rose Chiffon Thai Silk
Peony Poppy, Pink
Strawflower, Tall Mixed
Zinnia, Purity
Zinnia, Pink and Purple Mix
Ammi Majus

Perennial/Biennials
Dame's Rocket, Violet
Echinacea, Pallida (have extras)
Echinacea, Paradoxa (have extras)
Hollyhock, Soft Pink (have extras)
Milkweed, Ice Ballet
Shasta Daisy, Alaska (have extras)

Bubble envelopes only please.
nel.nucifera
Original Author
12 years ago
sending you both an email.
roper2008
12 years ago
I love the tropical milkweed. I never get to save seeds
because the monarch cats eat most of the flowers. They
do seem to prefer it over my perennial milkweed.
caterwallin
12 years ago
I could send you or anyone else cuttings if you're interested. I know this is seed exchange but thought I'd mention it anyway just in case. I had LOTS of Tropical Milkweed!
Cathy

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