| Milkweed |
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Asclepias syriaca
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| Uses: Culinary/Medicinal |
Duration: Perennial (hardy in zones 2-8) |
| When to Sow: Spring/Late Summer/Early Fall |
Ease of Germination: Moderate |
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Apt name as all parts exude a milky juice when cut. Wild flower growing up to 1m/3ft high. Young shoots are eaten like asparagus. Silk-like down of seeds is used to stuff pillows. Root and rhizome are anodyne (pain killing). Used for asthma, painful cough and scrofula. Germination benefits from gibberellic acid treatment.
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