Formerly known as Asclepias physocarpa ,…. newly renamed  Gomphocarpus physocarpus ‘Balloon Plant’ is our pick for pollinator power plant for June 2017.  Monarch Butterflies  love this six foot tall milk weed and will choose to lay eggs on it.  Unlike the native milkweeds, this version provides copious vegetation to feed upon and amazes with it’s strange seed pods which are partly empty spheres covered in a ‘hair’ like growth.   The visual metaphor is hard to miss if you’ve passed through adolescence, a specimen of ‘Family Jewels Plant’ will probably be a source of hilarity when a beer or two is added to the conversation.   Remember that all parts are poisonous and care should be taken with pets, cattle and toddlers to prevent  consumption.  Use with Yarrow and native milkweed to create an unforgettable butterfly garden!

1 gallon Gomphocarpus physocarpus $8.99 at Ploughshares June 2017