Whoops, nevermind. I just found out by searching the internet. Turns out it comes from the Milkweed plant.

It sure does. Maybe curassavica?

Def. looks like curassavica to me - I have lots growing

The stem is edible

Can growing curassavica in the north actually do more harm to monarch butterflies by interferring with their migratory behavior causing them to stay longer when they should be heading south for the winter? If so, I won't plant the seeds.

People in Florida have been recommended to grow curassavica. Everyone else has been asked to grow their native species. So, unless you're in z10, don't grow it.

Thanks. I won't be growing it. I'll send the seeds to my daughter-in-law who lives in Florida and enjoys gardening.

Just out of curiosity, how can you tell from the pod that that is A. curassavica, and not some other milkweed pod? Or is the assumption that because it comes from FL, that's the likely suspect?

Do milkweed pods have differentiating features? To me, they look pretty much the same.

Thanks,

Virginia

Hi VMR, to whom is your question addressed?

The question isn't addressed to anyone in particular- just anyone who knows if Milkweed pods can be distinguished from each other.

If your pod came from Asclepias tuberosa, for example, that's a species that's native to many parts of the U.S. and Canada, so it might be appropriate for your garden...

http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ASTU

Virginia

Thanks, FataMorgana.

So, presumably A. curassavica has a smaller pod than most Milkweeds. I was wondering if and how the species could be reliably ID'd from a photo of the seedpod...

Thanks again,

Virginia

I'm guessing about the pod size helping the ID. A. curassavica is not a plant I see in the Frozen North so I have no experience with it. If A. curassavica has larger pods like the Asclepias I'm familiar with, then Cynanchum might be a better ID for the pod.

FataMorgana

I grow 11 species of milkweed including curassavica (in the greenhouse). Just looked like curassavica to me off hand. Your pod is all dry and not in perfect focus so it's hard to check for differentiating features like bumps or hairs, but the location is also a good indicator.

I found the pod in Disney World, so it's anyone's guess where the plant originated.

Asclepias curassavica is from Mexico but is commonly cultivated in the warmer areas of the south.