| Asclepias cancellata
“Wild Cotton” Beautiful, bushy, evergreen & highly drought tolerant, this rare South African “Milkweed” is also a spectacular Monarch Butterfly magnet & host*, & important source of nectar & food for the lovely larvae. Base-branching with strong upright stems & soft-green foliage, it creates a dense & shrubby shape 4’ x 4’. Fragrant white & purple intricately sculptural blooms are held in large 3” pendulous clusters all over the plant. The flowers develop into fluffy seed heads, hence the name “Wild Cotton”. Well-drained soil & some compost for best appearance. Annie 
USE OF BT UPDATE:
We are pleased to announce that the California Department of Agriculture has recently lifted its requirement that our nursery use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), as a naturally occurring biological insecticide (also commonly used on organically grown fruits and vegetables), as control against LBAM (Light Brown Apple Moth) within the State of California. As a result we are no longer using BT in our nursery. Bt was known to be toxic to caterpillars, particularly the Monarch butterfly caterpillar, which is why we had always advised our customers to wait a growing season (or approximately one year) before introducing Monarch caterpillars to any Asclepia (Milkweed) plants to ensure the plants are large enough to provide sufficient food and the BT has had time to wear off. |
