What's looking Exotic 2025

Asclepias Curassavica (Tropical Milkweed) Yes, I know some consider it a weed, but we love it ...

 

That's too pretty to be a weed

 

I've got a few in pots, its not a weed here as it cant take frost, but the seed survives the winter and it can self sow, but a bit limited as flowering then is pretty late.

 

Should add, I've been taking cuttings which root very easily.

 

One from July.

 

How different is it to Asclepias tuberosa @pete? That seems to be reasonably hardy for me and looks similar in colour. I used to grow A. Incarnata (the pink one) but that didn't survive so well.

 

Well it doesn't grow from a tuber, it's a fast growing, first year from seed flowering, perennial evergreen.
Overwinters frost free in a greenhouse and can get to 2.5 ft high, kind of bushy, looks similar to oleander in leaf.

Has the usual pointed seed pods that open to masses of white fluff with one brown seed on each.

Once it starts to flower they keep coming.

 

Here it mentions Oleander ...

https://www.gardenia.net/plant/asclepias-curassavica

 

I'm still waiting to see monarch butterflies and humming birds on mine, but I live in hope.

 

Not sure I have seen a Monarch this year ... very few butterflies in fact. Not sure I have ever seen a humming bird.

 

You must have seen hummingbirds when you was in the US?
I was being silly, we dont get any of them as far as I know but nearly every plant I look at on the Web suggests it attracts hummingbirds.

 

Not that I remember. Then again we didn't have gardens as such just vast patches of Bermuda grass (brown most of the year) with a few things, 3 x huge Hibiscus syriacus (called Rose of Sharon) a small box hedge and two humongous Albizia julibrissin(called Mimosa) ...

 

I found a better pic of my tuberosa from "looking good in July 2023 " and also June 2022. There is much less contrast between the petals and column than in curassavica.

 

Yes, I think the flowers of tuberosa are just the one colour, am I right, I tried tuberosa from seed many years ago, but I got the impression good seed is hard to find.
Also a good sunny spot is becoming hard to find in my garden. I like trees too much.