Hairy Balls Milkweed Flowers. This milkweed is commonly known as hairy balls swan plant balloon plant oscar milkweed and family jewels. We normally don t plant annuals in our garden or non natives but we make an exception for this species of milkweed not just because of the novelty of the name or the striking appearance of the hairy balls seed pods at the end of summer.
It has a plethora of common names including balloon plant balloon cotton bush balloon milkweed bishop s balls elephant balls hairy balls monkey balls swan plant and many others. Native to south africa asclepias physocarpa has become a favorite with american gardeners in butterfly gardens. Common milkweed has very different flowers and pods common milkweed have long narrow pods.
It has a plethora of common names including balloon plant balloon cotton bush balloon milkweed bishop s balls elephant balls hairy balls monkey balls swan plant and many others.
I ve seen it growing in a few front gardens in sydney but it was a few years before i found out what the plant is. My other common milkweed are totally denuded and finished when hairy balls hits its stride. And plant milkweed for monarchs. Gomphocarpus physocarpus commonly known as hairy balls balloonplant balloon cotton bush bishop s balls nailhead or swan plant is a species of milkweed the plant is native to southeast africa but it has been widely naturalized.