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Behold the giant milkweed!

comments (4) April 28th, 2011 in blogs

Michelle Gervais, Associate Editor

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Photo: Michelle Gervais

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I ran into this plant (well, not literally...) at the University of Tennessee Research Center in Jackson a few years ago. I immediately thought it was a beefy asclepias. Close, but not quite! It's giant milkweed (Calotropis gigantea, USDA Hardiness Zones 10-11), also called crown flower. It's tropical, and not extremely hardy, so it was likely being grown as an annual here, along with golden jewels of Opar (Talinum paniculatum 'Aureum', annual) in one shot and with a shiny purple-leafed basil (Ocimum cv., annual) in the other. Its beefy leaves add great texture to an annual planting, and its lavender flowers are fascinating and beautiful. Yup, it's going on my shopping list.

Welcome to the Fine Gardening GARDEN PHOTO OF THE DAY blog! Every weekday we post a new photo of a great garden, a spectacular plant, a stunning plant combination, or any number of other subjects. Think of it as your morning jolt of green.

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A handsome basil for the annual border

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Watering cans as garden ornaments

Comments (4)

Chickadeebower writes: This looks very sinilar to the milkweed that grows here in Minnesota. The flower heads are different, though. Posted: 2:52 pm on May 2nd

DreamGardener writes: yes. Yes, that's Definitely GIANT! Dang! Posted: 4:52 am on April 29th

mgervais writes: So sorry, DreamGardener - I should have mentioned that the giant milkweed, where hardy, can reach up to 12 feet tall. Posted: 8:26 am on April 28th

DreamGardener writes: how Giant is this, exactly? Posted: 5:14 am on April 28th

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Welcome to the Fine Gardening GARDEN PHOTO OF THE DAY blog!

Every weekday we post a new photo of a great garden, a spectacular plant, a stunning plant combination, or any number of other subjects. Think of it as your morning jolt of green.

Sign up to get new posts delivered to your inbox each morning so you'll always remember to take a look, or subscribe to our RSS feed. We look forward to sharing our garden travels with you.

If you think you have a photo that we should share on the Garden Photo of the day, email us. Send hi-res images to mgervais@taunton.com with GPOD in the subject line. We'll only respond if we plan to use your photo.