Asclepias

Asclepias, or Milkweeds as they are also known, are an American plant genus of perennial, herbaceous dicotyledonous plants. Within the genus there are around 140 different species and though it was once part of the Asclepiadaceae family, it has been reclassified to be part of the dog bane family Apocynaceae's subfamily Asclepiadoideae. The plant is called milkweed because its sap has a milky consistency that is comprised of latex full of cardenolides and alkaloids. In many species the sap can be poisonous. The name Asclepius was given to the plant by Carl Linnaeus, who named it after Asclepius – the Greek god of healing. This is because many traditional alternative medicines use milkweed plants. Depending on the particular species, the Asclepias plants can bloom flowers in a wide variety of colours from deep blues and purples to bright pinks and red and creamy whites. The Dutch company Astra Fund have 27 different Asclepias for sale as bulk potted plants for outdoor use. These include various varieties of Asclepias Tuberosa and Asclepias Incarnata such as Asclepias Tuberosa Yellow Queen, Asclepias Tuberosa Red King, Asclepias Incarnata Soulmate (that blooms pretty purple coloured flowers) and Asclepias Incarnata White Superior as well as many more.