I have Hairy Balls…
…in my garden. Actually, more precisely, it’s milkweed – Asclepias Physocarpus to be exact.
I was shopping at the Navy Exchange garden shop and saw this plants but I recognized them for their white flowers. I had one of these in my garden last year, having purchased it at the Master Gardener Spring Seminar,where I was told that it was called “Family Jewels” which I thought was because of the dainty white flowers. Between getting eaten down by the caterpillars, and the aphids that took over, the poor plant finally died. I liked the plant for it’s white flowers but didn’t understand why it was named “Family Jewels.” Mystery solved!
Native to Southeast Africa, Hairy Balls Milkweed grows 48″-60″ high. Plant in full sun and treat as an annual. Asclepias physocarpa, aka Gomphocarpus physocarpus, goes by many common names: Swan Plant, Balloon Plant, Cotton-bush, Oscar, Family Jewels, Devil’s Balls, and of course, Hairy Balls, my personal favorite and soooo unlady-like.
Tagged as:
Asclepias physocarpa,
family jewels,
Gomphocarpus physocarpus,
hairy balls,
milkweed
In my ongoing stress testing of plants in the yard (translation – lazy and inattentive!), I’ve ended up with a couple of toughies that are worth sharing. This Aeonium ‘Cyclops’ has been sitting on a shelf out in my garden for at least six months. The floret is looking pretty good, don’t you think?
Aeonium ‘Cyclops’
This Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ was used in a succulent floral arrangement that I entered in the Coronado Flower Show last April. The arrangement was supported with sand so this piece has had no water for about eight months. It’s not at its “peak of perfection” but considering how much it has been handled it’s looking pretty good.
Aeonium ’Sunburst’
Here are the two aeoniums that have rooted. Look at the roots on both of these plants. While it’s tempting to stick the whole piece in the ground with roots intact, that’s not the best recipe for success. Check out this past post on succulent propagation for proper cutting for better results.
Time to get these two stalks planted.
Tagged as:
aeonium cyclops,
aeonium sunburst,
succulent rooting
