Please excuse the poor photography (if I can even get the pic on here). This plant/weed is as intricate as most flowers I've seen. The more I look at it, the more beautiful I think it is. I have no idea what it is, but probably some of you will. I found it as I was taking a little walk around our pasture.
Maybe this pic is better (must get some instruction from DH).
It's called Antelope Horn Milkweed - Asclepias viridis
http://www.2bnthewild.com/plants/H451.htm
I haven't been out to look at our pastures lately, but I have photos of them from last year.
Well, no it wasn't, was it? Sorry. Anyway, just take my word for it, because it's too neat to not be appreciated. And to think--God did all that art work on an old weed...........
I love the Antelope Horns milkweed, it is gorgeous, plus it is a host for the Monarch caterpillar.
My milkweed is so spread out that I wonder if they attract any Monarch butterflies. I have never seen any caterpillars on them. If I massed any milkweed together, I would have to fence it in against the cattle as it's toxic. During a drought such as the one were experienced during the past 19 months, cattle will try many green plants. I'll have to gather some seed and try it around the house.
I don't have any cattle, but horses. Do you know if horses eat it? I would love to have it around the house, but this is the first one I've ever seen. Is it invasive, or would it be OK in a regular flower bed?
They are poisonous and very hard to transplant because of the deep taproot, they are best propagated by seed, and even that is very difficult, they are not invasive, and you are lucky if you can get one to grow where you want it.
Josephine.
I found out about the deep root when I tried transplanting a few. They all died. That's why I'm going to try seed.
sybram, I don't know much about what horses will eat. Cattle won't usually eat it except by accident or if they don't have much to eat. If I were you I would ask a knowledgeable neighbor or your local extension agent. I hate losing what essentially have become pets.
Look the blooms over carefully for the Monarch caterpillars, they could be very tiny. If you find any, take them back out to another plant so they will survive, that is if you don't want to raise them.
Why would you have to move the caterpillars?
It appears that the branches she has in the pictures have been cut; therefore will die soon. If there are Monarch caterpillars on them, they need to be moved to fresh Milkweed.
Duh! I did not see that! :-)
Thank you......
Well, too late for that. They went out in yesterday's trash. Hope they all stayed on their home leaf, else I may be raising little thingys here in the house. I never even looked at the leaves. You guys are so smart. :o)
Anyway, I'm really proud of myself. Those were the first pics I've ever posted anywhere. So, a whole new world for me. Now I've just got to learn to take decent photos.
Well the only way is practice practice practice! LOL! Your pic was good enough for the ID so it was a success.
I love that plant. I would love to have it growning in my yard. I recently saw Queen Anne's Lace growing in Baytown. I went back and pulled some up. It is beautiful. No pictures yet. They are recovering.
My DGD's and I stopped for more incase some will survive for the CS and East Texas RU. We will see. They are in water as it got to dark to plant them as I need to find or make pots. They still look good.
It is so beautiful. The nursery I stopped to ask what it was said it is hard to start from seed because they are so tiny. I am glad I have plants hopefully I can share some from plants that sprout next year.
