The Milkweeds

Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa). Photographs by Bobby Gendron
Asclepias species have been used for various purposes by primitive peoples, particularly North American Indians. The seed pods of A. tuberosa were boiled and consumed with buffalo meat; the roots were boiled and eaten as were the tender young shoots, while the latex of other species has been recommended as a substitute for rubber in times of emergency.
Frances Perry, Flowers of the World

Milkweeds are a diverse and interesting group of plants. While most plants in our gardens are purely ornamental, milkweeds have a variety of uses, including that of providing entertainment value. The genus name, Asclepias, is taken from the Greek god of healing, and alludes to properties in the milky, latex-like sap, which has been used medicinally (as an emetic or purgative). The sap contains toxic alkaloids that, when ingested by the monarch butterfly caterpillar, render it toxic to whatever eats it. Botanists suggest that 100-150 species of Asclepias are found around the world, principally in southern Africa and the Americas. Over a dozen species and subs...