Common Milkweed (Silkweed) - Plant

Asclepias syriaca thrives in good, moisture retaining areas in the garden. Handle the plant delicately! Keep the shoot intact! Dig a wide plant hole and loosen the soil with a fork. Improve poor soil with a mix of well rotted compost and fertiliser granules. Place the root ball at the correct depth in the hole – the top of the root ball should be just slightly below ground level. Refill the hole with soil and press it down firmly. Water immediately. This plant thrives in a spot in full sun.

Place the striking Asclepias syriaca at the back of the border. Of course this plant can go in mixed borders with similar shades and you could try planting other pink flowering plants in front of it. The lovely flowers of the Ascelpias syriaca go well with the double Peony (Paeonia lactiflora 'Pink Cameo') and pink Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris var. Stellata ‘Clementine Salmon Rose').

Asclepias syriaca is originally from North America, despite the Latin name 'syriaca' indicating Syria as point of origin.The whole family falls under Silkweed. This is due to the fact that the seedpods contain seeds encased in long silky hairsl. The seeds are indeed spread by the wind. The dry pods open in the autumn and the wind does its job.

This plant produces a sap that looks like latex and contains a lot of glycosides. The leaves and bark are harmful to sheep, but the young shoots, leaves and buds are edible, for humans.

Asclepias syriaca flowers are fascinating and beautiful. The petals are bent back and the stamens with their nectar face forwards. Because of the abundant nectar production, the flowers attract a lot of butterflies and bees. The stems have a light covering of hairs and feel silky soft to the touch. The sap is toxic. Asclepias syriaca is a wonderful cut flower! The flowers last for a long time in a vase. Pick the flowers preferably early morning. Remove the lowermost leaves and place the stems immediately in a vase of lukewarm water with a cut flower food.

It is a rather delicate plant that needs careful handling! The plant forms a rhizome. If the shoot is broken, it will skip a season but come again the following year with a new shoot! Once the rhizome is well established it will spread. Tip: plant in the garden in a pot or tub without a bottom.