This milkweed also is beautiful as a dried flower for arrangements. It grows to a height of 1 to 2.5” tall, and about 2’ wide., and is a tall thin plant. It blooms from June until September which is needed to feed the butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial pollinators. The flower is a beautiful creamy white, very showy and the leaves are thin and lance like. It will do well in drought and dry soil but does need moisture as well. They spread by rhizomes, but are not invasive, and should not be considered so.
During WWII it was used as a filler in life vests, flight suits, and in the past it was also used for fishing lines, belts, and threads. Because milkweed contains cardiac glycosides, toxic resins, and alkaloids it is best to avoid planting in or near pasture lands, as it cold be a danger to livestock if eaten in quantities. Asclepias is taken from the name for the Greek god, of medicine, Linneaus, and has been used since ancient times.
Controlling aphids, uses a small spray bottle filled with isopropyl alcohol to spray the aphids on his plants. After about 5 seconds, he hoses the plant down with water and those pesky milkweed invaders are dead. This sounds like a great idea, but I would only recommend this for heavy infestations…don’t destroy your local ecosystem with an aphid-free garden!
