Showy Milkweed Seeds|Asclepias speciosa California Native Plants|Native Wildflower Seeds|Southwestern Plants|Gift|Gardening|Butterfly Garden

Showy milkweed is native to much of the western half of North America. In California it is found in the Sierras and Coast Ranges, from Tulare County to Modoc and Siskiyou Counties. This flowering plant is a hairy, erect perennial that grows to about 4 feet tall. The large, pointed, banana-like leaves are arranged opposite on the stalk-like stem. The fragrant eye-catching furry pale pink to pinkish-purple flowers are arranged in thick umbels. Their petal structure is reflexed and the central flower parts, five hoods with prominent hooks, are star-shaped. The fruit is a large, rough follicle filled with many flat oval seeds with luxuriant silky plumes. It spreads by underground rhizomes, forming an expanding clump. Many Native American peoples use this plant for numerous medicinal purposes and also consume certain parts as food. Showy Milkweed is popular with birds and insects, notably the Monarch butterfly. Alkaloids inside the plant are picked up by the caterpillars and give them protection by making them taste awful to predators.

Packet will contain 10+ seeds.