August 2023
Giant Swan Milkweed
Balloon plant is an annual native to SE Africa. We started seeds in the BGO greenhouse in March with excellent germination. The first time I saw this plant used in the garden was around the Fayetteville square approximately 25 years ago. I collected some seeds then and planted some at the Extension Service gardens for Master Gardeners to enjoy.
Plant Balloon plant on the back side of your perennial/annual garden because this plant will get tall. It will easily get six feet tall but remains pretty slender. Its flowers are small and most often overlooked until flowers turn into seed pods. It’s the large tennis ball size seed pods that will give this plant a second look. Monarch butterflies don’t seem to hit it for food until late summer when all other milkweeds have been beaten up from the summer’s heat. Yes, the balloon plant is drought tolerant but like all plants, it does enjoy a drink from the garden hose during a drought period.
Here at BGO, you will find balloon plants along the butterfly path on your way to the Butterfly house. I know several gardeners who have planted this annual milkweed for the humorous other name which I will not mention. Definitely an attention-getter.
Berni Kurz, Director of Horticulture
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NWA Citizen Science Butterfly Project
A citizen science project between the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, the University of Arkansas, and you! Butterflies, birds, flowers, and a wide variety of animals and plants come in a spectacular range of colors and shapes. One of the main goals of biology is understanding why this variation exists, and how changes in color and shape influence behavior, such as feeding, resting and predator avoidance.