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mattdiclemente

Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) yellow and pink forms?

mattdiclemente
12 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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