Silky Gold Asclepias

Silky Gold is a golden-flowered selection of tropical milkweed, grown for its long flowering season and upright stems. Its warm color suits sunny containers and mixed borders, and the plant can be grown as a perennial in frost-free climates or treated as a warm-season annual where winters are cold. ## Flowers and Garden Use The Silky series is a named group of Asclepias curassavica selections; Silky Gold has solid golden-yellow flowers ([University of Wisconsin Extension](https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/tropical-milkweed-asclepias-currasavica/)). NC State Extension trialed the named selection and reports a long cutting period ([NC State Extension](https://cutflowers.ces.ncsu.edu/asclepias-curassavica-silky-gold/)), while Chicago Botanic Garden records yellow flowers and summer-to-fall bloom ([Chicago Botanic Garden](https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plant-information/plant-finder/asclepias-curassavica-silky-gold-silky-gold-bloodflower)). It is useful in sunny borders and containers, with flowers that attract butterflies. ## Siting and Regional Care Provide full sun and consistent moisture for this tropical species. Where winter freezes kill the plant, it usually behaves as a warm-season annual. In mild-winter parts of the southern United States, the Gulf Coast, and California, tropical milkweed may remain leafy through winter, which can support off-season monarch breeding and buildup of the OE parasite. Xerces recommends choosing milkweed species native to the local region instead; if tropical milkweed is already established in a southern garden, Xerces advises cutting it to the ground in early fall ([Xerces Society](https://xerces.org/milkweed-faq)). ## Maintenance If existing tropical milkweed is retained in a region where it stays leafy through winter, Monarch Joint Venture recommends pruning stalks to about 6 inches during fall and winter, then recutting every few weeks if leaves regrow. Its advice does not apply south of Orlando in South Florida, where a distinct non-migratory monarch population is established, though native milkweed planting is still encouraged ([Monarch Joint Venture](https://monarchjointventure.org/faq/other-threats/when-to-cut-back-tropical-milkweed)). Keep the root zone evenly moist during active growth, and remove pods if volunteer seedlings are unwanted. The milky sap can irritate skin, so handle stems with care.