What is this??
- Thread starter tlkl01
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That plant has seed pods. Some of the pods have matured and opened up. Those white fuzzy things are seeds about to float off in the wind and drive other people crazy in a few months.
The plant pictured in the OP is Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), a perennial herb native to Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Tropical Milkweed is widely grown for its beauty and ecological benefits. In areas where it is too cold to overwinter, it may be grown as an annual. The flowers typically have an orange-red corolla and golden yellow corona, but various cultivars differ in this regard. The plant pictured is shown with ripe fruit (seed capsules). One capsule has split, releasing seed with silky white coma. This is an adaptation for wind dispersal.
The plant would be toxic if eaten, but its presence alone poses no threat to people. Furthermore, Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are ecologically important plants providing food for both pollinators and the larvae of several species of butterflies, including the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and the Queen (Danaus gilippus).
The plant would be toxic if eaten, but its presence alone poses no threat to people. Furthermore, Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are ecologically important plants providing food for both pollinators and the larvae of several species of butterflies, including the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and the Queen (Danaus gilippus).
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