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Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) yellow and pink forms?

15 years ago

This afternoon, at my sister's home I spotted a monarch catepillar on a common milkweed bush (Asclepias syriaca).

I encouraged my sister to smell the flowers, instructing her that they were very fragrant. She is expecting, and once smelling it, did not care for the fragrance at all. I attributed this to her heightened sense of smell. When I looked at the flower though, I noticed that the flowers were yellow, rather than the typical dusty rose. When I brought my nose to them, I realized why she might not have liked them. Rather than the typical, delicious sweet vanilla floral scent of Milkweed's pom-pom like flower clusters, there was a strong warm fragrance - very much in the way of Tulbahgia fragrans by night, or the Korean rose on a warm day. This surpsised me greatly, although nothing about the foliage or habit of the plant indicated it was anything other than A. syriaca, the common milkweed bush.

What could this plant be? I enjoy the fragrance and fully intend to bring some home. I will also try to put up some pictures.

I am familiar with swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), purple milkweed (A. purpurea) and of course both yellow and orange forms of (A. tuberosa) the butterfly weed, short and bushy. Our mystery plant with yellow flowers of powerful fragrance is none of these though.

Does anyone have a clue? Have you come across this plant as well?

Thank-you, and best wishes,

Sincerely,

Matt Di Clemente

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Comments (4)

sweet_betsy No AL Z7
15 years ago
Here is a website that might give you clue as to what plant you are trying to identify.

Here is a link that might be useful: Monarch Watch
mattdiclemente
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank-you for your very kind reply.
What an interesting site!
I like all the milkweeds there.

I couldn't determine that any of those were the plant I was looking to identify though.
The unusualy fragrant milkweed I met last week looks like Broadleaf Milkweed (Asclepias latifolia), but New Jersey doesn't seem to be part of its range.

I would be interested in learing any more information on the very interesting topic of native milkweeds.

Best wishes,
Sincerely,
Matt Di Clemente
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Depends on how big your garden is and its purpose. IMO it isn't very decorative, and it might be worth growing in a garden where you have a sunny spot that's mostly out of sight or a wildflower meadow or if you have a butterfly bed that isn't specifically for decoration. There are milkweeds that provide food for monarchs that are more decorative IMO as RyseRyse mentioned, like butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa. In the link below, there are some nice photos from Mulchmama and Terrene of butterfly weed. In addition to the regular orange and the yellow selections in their photos, there are also some deeper red (on the orange side of red) selections. If you want a more decorative milkweed in the pink to white range, check out Asclepias incarnata, swamp milkweed, which doesn't need to be in a swamp, but does need consistent moisture. It has a somewhat more delicate aspect than A. speciosa and can get somewhat taller. Here is a link that might be useful: milkweed discussion
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