Texas milkweed
Click for greater clarity.
You recently saw the common milkweed of the eastern United States, and a couple of months before that the most widespread milkweed in Austin, antelope-horns. Still earlier in these pages had come a few views of wand milkweed. Here now is yet another Texas milkweed, and it’s even called Texas milkweed, Asclepias texana.
A bit below and beyond the two clusters of flowers in this picture, in the notch of the dark green V formed by their stalks, you can make out a set of buds forming. I photographed this Texas milkweed, as I did the zexmenia in yesterday’s post, on June 8 along the west side of Bluegrass Dr. in my Great Hills neighborhood of Austin.
© 2012 Steven Schwartzman
Kannte ich noch nicht, sieht sehr hübsch aus :-)
Mathilda
August 2, 2012 at 6:16 AM
Mathilda says that this looks very pretty, and I agree. Texas milkweed is the most delicate species of Asclepias that we have here, and one that I come across less often than the others that I mentioned.
Steve Schwartzman
August 2, 2012 at 6:30 AM
Do the milkweeds in Austin attract butterflies of a particular species? The Monarch is drawn to the natives that reside in Delaware. Although similar clusters of flowers as our orange and pinkish,the purity of the white makes these seem daintier. Also I like the budding cluster wedged between the blooms, Sally
lensandpensbysally
August 2, 2012 at 12:22 PM
I’m under the impression that monarchs are attracted to milkweeds as host plants in central Texas, too. Whether other butterflies are as well, I’m afraid I don’t know.
Your adjective dainty strikes me as the right word for this milkweed species.
Steve Schwartzman
August 2, 2012 at 12:58 PM
Milkweed never ceased to amaze me…it’s such a gorgeous flower. I wonder why it’s never been cultivated?
Merrill Gonzales
August 2, 2012 at 5:27 PM
The weed in the name tells you that many people look down on this genus. One species that I know that is cultivated is the pretty Asclepias tuberosa, called butterfly weed because it does indeed attract butterflies.
Steve Schwartzman
August 2, 2012 at 5:40 PM
Beautiful shot Steve! You always find the most pleasing backgrounds to work with!
Michael Glover
August 2, 2012 at 10:36 PM
Thanks, Michael. I do make an effort to play my subjects off against backgrounds that are as neutral as I can find at sites where I’m working. That usually means aiming horizontally or upwards in order to maximize the distance between the subject and other objects.
Steve Schwartzman
August 2, 2012 at 10:42 PM
It a shame such a pretty flower has the word “weed” associated with it. Great shot Steve, Love it!!!
dhphotosite
August 3, 2012 at 11:54 AM
It is a shame. I’ve been compiling a list of native species in this area whose common names include weed: there are several dozen! As I’ve been known to say from time to time: “One man’s weed is another man’s wildflower, and I’m that other man.”
Steve Schwartzman
August 3, 2012 at 12:06 PM
I suspect if some Texas brides saw this photo, they’d throw over their callas and roses in favor of Texas milkweed in their bouquet. It’s absolutely gorgeous – though of course the background you’ve provided sets it off even more beautifully.
shoreacres
August 3, 2012 at 3:17 PM
A good proposal: the white of a Texas milkweed for a bridal bouquet. It might take a potted rather than cut plant, though, to keep “milk” from dripping all over the person holding it.
Steve Schwartzman
August 3, 2012 at 5:13 PM
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