While native to Washington, I’ve come to realize this plant is only native to the east-side of the state. But I started several from seed this year for the native garden. Oops. It will be a bit of a miracle if they ever get to blooming size, anyway. They seem to be slow to develop.

This plant family has some interesting looking flowers, though most of the plants themselves are a bit coarse. A. speciosa is no exception. I guess that’s why they are called milkweeds. But wherever they are native, they are definitely not unwanted weeds to the many insects and animals that rely on them.

I’ve already set the seedlings out into the meadow portion of my garden. Now, it’s just a waiting game to see if they leaf back out, then put some growth on to get to blooming size in the next couple of years.