I bought a red one this year. It's just budding, so once it flowers completely I'll let you know!

I've seen a true red in a wild population - but it was years ago, back on the upper part of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. There were literally drifts of blood-red tuberosas - some of which I collected for my mother. They remained true to color in her garden, and many years later (since she's been dead for over 30 years) there were still a few of those blood-red plants in what had been her butterfly garden.

I've seen some which came close, and have a clump that I found here in Ok - but they are closer to a deep chinese red-orange than the ones I found back east.

Incidently, I found that the flower clusters/heads on those true reds were smaller and less branching than the more familiar orange. That habit appears to be the same for the wild population goldenrod-colored form as well, but they all interbreed without any hesitation. If you select from progeny you can keep most of both colors and get the larger clusters.

There is a native milkweed, Asclepias rubra, but the photos of the flowers I looked at are not the blood red on those of A. curassavica. There is a hybrid or two of A. curassavica with red flowers only - Apollo Red is one of them. I don't recall the name of the other one.

Hope this helps!

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Asclepias rubra (lineaus)

Susan, have you ever heard/read anything about hybridizing between tuberosa and curassivica? It would be incredible to get the colors of the latter with the cold-hardiness of the former.

Something about the differing anthers in the various milkweed species are prohibitive to hybridization. This is natural hybridization, though, so perhaps hand pollination would facilitate cross pollination and production of new cultivars. I used to dabble with pollination of begoniaceae, which was very easy to do. Not the typical sempervirens that you see in the marketplace, but some of the beautiful rhizomatous, canes, shrubs, etc. I've since given up that pursuit and the only begonia I have is B. evansiana (hardy begonia) growing in my yard.

It would be incredible to see more hybrids on the market, but the risk would be in the dilution of cardiac glycosides that protect the Monarch butterfly from predation. A. curassavica has the highest percentage of cardiac glycosides of any of the milkweed species, which is one reason I think the Monarchs prefer it as a host plant. One of the lowest is cynanchum laeve, which I do grow in my yard in the event I run out of enough A. curassavica to feed the caterpillars. But, it's a last gasp food for them.

Susan

Hello,

Does anyone of you have seed of Asclepias tuberosa ssp. lutea, the pure yellow form?

thank you kindly in advance, chris

Hey Chris

I hate to be the novice, weekend gardener that I am, but if there is only one Milkweed that blooms yellow, then I have some seeds that you can have. Just let me know if you want them and where to send them.

Nancy

Would anybody else have any Asclepias yellow?

Thanks
Carol

I have yellow to but hasnt got seeds yet .
{{gwi:481158}}

There are two yellow milkweeds that I know of. The one in the picture on the last post is Tropical milkweed or Asclepias curavassica "Silky Gold". "Hello Yellow" is an all yellow A tuberosa. I haven't seen seeds for it, but I know that you can get plants online. I have had a hard time growing it. If anyone has had good success, I'd like to know what the best conditions are for getting it to survive. Also, I'd be interested if anyone has seeds.

Sandy

How can you tell the diffence I didnt even know there were 2 types.Sandy let us know if ya find some yellow tuberosa seeds.

Angie,

"Hello Yellow" is a named cultivar of Asclepias tuberosa that has yellow to gold colored flowers. Usually you see A tuberosa in shades of orange to red, but not on one plant. "Gay Butterflies" is a named cultivar that has different shades of oranges and reds on one plant.

Here in Oklahoma, A tuberosa grows wild. You will see clumps of it growing across the prairie areas and on old farm lands. I find it to be quite beautiful. One of my favorite mind pictures is of a clump that I saw that was covered with Great Spangled Frits. Talk about something absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. A tuberosa has smaller, fuzzier leaves than the tropical milkweed, or A curavassica. The tuberosa plants also have a lower, scrubbier appearance.

Tropical milkweed is an annual in Oklahoma. I IDed your picture by the leaves and the flower heads. The leaves are bigger than A tuberosa and smoother. The flower heads are more open, and the plants are usually taller than the native milkweed. Hope this helps.

I've been checking online this evening, and found 10 seeds for $9.98. I think I'll probably opt for finding some plants and trying again to collect seeds in the fall. I had 2 plants last year, but a gopher decided to eat them before I collected any seeds.

Sandy

Thx Sandy I learned something new I really would like the short milkweed so Im look for seeds too if I find a good deal Ill let ya know Im alittle scared to buy on ebay some seeds you get can be old ,so glad I posted a pic or Id never know what I had hehehe

Hey Carol

I have approximately 165 Asclepias Curavassica Silky Gold seeds, if this is the particular milkweed you are looking for and would like some. My only disclaimer is that these seeds are from pods around the beginning of winter, and I don't know if short periods of low temperatures hurt them in any way. I took the seeds only when the pods opened on their own. I also have milkweed that flowers red. And then I have a baggie of seeds that will flower either red or yellow. There were no flowers on the plant when I took the pod off, and I couldn't remember what color the flowers were. Just let me know if you would like some. You can e-mail me directly at nmann@texonlp.com.

I emailed you directly LOL
and thanks so much

Carol

I am looking for seeds of the pure red Asclepias Tuberosa.

I have lots and lots of Tropical Milkweed seeds (Asclepias Curassavica) that bloom red. Would you like some of those? I do have a disclaimer though. I gave some to a coworker last year, and she said nothing came up. But I have Tropical Milkweed all over my backyard. I don't know if I stored the seeds wrong (in a baggie), or she did something wrong. This year I stored them in a baggie in the refrigerator, even though they do not need to be cold stratified (correct term?). Anyway, e-mail me at nancyemann@sbcglobal.net if you would like some, and I'll send you my address to send me a SASE.

You should never stratify Asclepias curassavica! It kills the seeds! Do you have photo of your red Tropical MIlkweed? Is it the one with red and orange on the same flower?

or is it the pure red one?

I just bought one plant (cause that's all they had) labeled asclepias curassavica "silky deep red". (They did have several yellow for sale.)

Is this a tropical? Should I not wintersow this one? I only bought it to get the seeds from it. Help! I don't want to mess up my seeds next year!