Behold the giant milkweed!

I run into this works ( well , not literally … ) at theUniversity of Tennessee Research Centerin Jackson a few years ago . I like a shot thought it was a beefy genus Asclepias . penny-pinching , but not quite ! It ’s jumbo Sonchus oleraceus ( Calotropis gigantea , USDA Hardiness Zones 10 - 11 ) , also called crown flower . It ’s tropic , and not passing audacious , so it was likely being grown as an yearbook here , along with golden jewels of Opar ( Talinum paniculatum‘Aureum ’ , yearly ) in one shot and with a sheeny purpleness - leafed Basil the Great ( Ocimumcv . , annual ) in the other . Its strapping leaf add great texture to an yearly planting , and its lavender peak are fascinating and beautiful . Yup , it ’s going on my shopping list .

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Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

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