Asclepias
incarnata Rose Milkweed
There's plenty of folklore associated with this wonderful
Moon plant, probably
because of the sheer magicalness of its fluff. It is said that adding milkweed
fluff to dream
pillows will make one dream of the Fae. Folklore also says that for each
floating seed one catches and lets go of, a wish is granted. The
flowers
are associated with Summer Solstice magick and the fluff with fall
equinox. Some
sources of magickal lore recommend using the juice of this magick herb to anoint a
baby's third eye to enhance its imagination and creativity, but milkweed latex can cause itchy dermatitis even on adult
skin. Stroking the area with a leaf tip might be a better idea skin-wise.
Iroquois Indians used this plant to prepare themselves to fight
witches, so it obviously has protective properties as well as being
useful in divination. Its easily spun fibers offer unique opportunities
for knot magic.
This North American native plant is beloved by butterflies, hummingbirds,
and children. I chose this particular variety because the rosey pink flowers are in
large clusters and are very fragrant, with the scent of vanilla. The flowers
are good cut, but the end must be seared with a flame so
they don't wilt. They can stay fresh for a week. This plant gets wonderful alien-looking pods 3"/7 cm
long that crack open to release tons of milky, fluffy seeds in October and November. The dried
pods
are neat in flower arrangements, and the inside of the pods is a silvery white,
showing a great Moon influence. The white sap is also characteristic of
Moon plants, which are often, as this is, diuretic. This plant is known
for attracting hummingbirds, sphinx moths, and butterflies, especially the monarch
butterfly, which lays its eggs on this plant, the grey hairstreak,
and fritillaries. Top
In Eclectic medicine, that curious blend of European herbalism and
Native American plant knowledge, the root of rose milkweed was dried
and powdered, boiled with water, and administered in tiny doses like
digitalis (foxglove) for edema due to heart failure. That gives you an
idea of the root's power. The Chippewa used the root to make an infusion to add to a
strenghtening bath for children. Iroquois decocted its root and drank it as a diuretic.
They spun the fibers into a cord for pulling teeth; unlike
flax, these fibers don't need special treatment to be removed from the
dead stem. Just pull them off. The fluff is water-proof and has
been used to stuff lifevests. It can also be spun, and the latex can be made
into a fine rubber. Top
According to the University of North Carolina, this plant is toxic only
if large quantities are eaten; however, it is deadly to sheep. Plants for a Future reports
that parts of it are
edible by humans--the buds are cooked and said to taste like peas. They
can also be dried and stored like peas. The shoots are cooked as a
substitute for asparagus in two changes of water. The young seed pods are also
said to be edible when they are little--about an inch/3-4 cm long--and
cooked in two changes of water. Keep in mind that part of the reason why
caterpillers like to
eat this plant is because the plant's poison makes them taste bad to
birds. If it tastes bitter, spit it out. Most interesting, the flowers can be boiled in water and
reduced to a sweet syrup. This syrup might have interesting properties
for incense making. Top
I
have found some magick sources that call Apocynum androsaeifolium
milkweed,
but they are completely different plants. The confusion perhaps comes
about because milkweed is in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). This plant is named Asclepias after Asklepios, the father of Greek
medicine. "Incarnata" means flesh-pink. Rose milkwood is also known as
flesh-colored milkweed, red milkweed, swamp silkweed,
white Indian hemp, incarnate swallowort, and Asclepias pulchra. Top
How to grow
it: Seeds should germinate easily at room temperature
(68F/20C), but you will get a higher germination rate if you
sow them in a paper towel that has been wet and wrung out, put in a baggie,
and refrigerated for 4 weeks. Or sow on Winter Solstice (see special
directions on the Solstice Sowing
page). After hardening off (getting them used to sunlight
slowly, 30 minutes per day), transplant seedlings to
full sun. This plant likes Moon environments such as wet meadows,
ditches, and
the banks of ponds, but it will grow happily in regular garden
conditions as well. It is a good plant for mucky clay and is deerproof. Aphids like the stems, so if you see them, spray them
off with a strong stream of water. At 4ft tall/1.2 m high and 2 ft/50 cm wide, rose milkweed gets
larger than regular milkweed. The flowers are 3-5"/8-12 cm wide and
appear July-August. It is a perennial in temperate zones (3-9, or down
to -40F/-40C). General growing info. Top
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Asclepias incarnata Rose milkweed 40 seeds $3.50
Uses in
Witchcraft & Magic:
Fairy Plant Dreamwork Divination Celebrating
Summer Solstice & Fall Equinox Moon Herb
© 2006, 2019 Harold A. Roth; No reproduction of any
part without permission.
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