Gomphocarpus Physocarpus - Swan Plant

While we were walking back to our car after a lovely lunch with friends at Paterson a couple of weeks ago, we came across this plant by the roadside. None of us were able to recognise what it is, so if anyone on 365 has any ideas, please let me know.

[Babs]

@julzmaioro Any ideas what this plant is Julia.

[Diana]

It certainly is stunning, love the whit fluffy bits. Sorry I cannot help with the ID.

[bkb in the city]

Great find

[Kathy A]

It certainly is interesting

[Brennie B]

So feathery and light. Isn't it lovely .very interesting with all the different textures too

[Peter H]

Very interesting.

[Valerie Chesney]

Very unusual & different, would like to know what it is. Looks a little like some kind of cactus ?

[Beryl Lloyd]

Looks as if the prickly seed-heads ripen , burst and forth come the white fluff and the seeds !! ( very scientific explanation , I know - ha !!) Interesting plant - I hope someone can give us an identification !

[Babs]

@beryl I love your scientific explanation Beryl but it would appear that is exactly what happens. Doesn't help with identification though does it ha ha. I hope someone knows what it is. Fingers crossed

[Karen]

The plant is what they call a swan plant, the plant the monarch butterfly love. its botanical name is Gomphocarpus Physocarpus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomphocarpus_physocarpus

[Beryl Lloyd]

@rustymonkey - well done - thank you !

[Yao RL]

A fibery plant

[Denise Wood]

Yes karen @rustymonkey has nailed it! It's called a swan plant because the green seed pods are attached to the plant in a curvy way that it makes it look like swan :) And yes terrific for the monarch butterflies.

[Dione Giorgio]

Very unusual for me but very pretty.

[Lou Ann]

Quite an amazing plant. I like the name too. Oh the things we learn on 365!

[April Dellow-Cowan]

This looks like a type of Milkweed. Monarch Butterflies feed on them also.

[Merrelyn]

I thought that it looked like a swan plant :)

[Sally Ings]

My instant thought was it's milkweed. Reading through the comments I saw swan plant mentioned. I felt obliged to check with Google - swan plant is a species of milkweed. Milkweed glows wild all around the area where I live.

[Peter Dulis]

love it -

[sarah]

Oh how cool and perfect name and so wonderful for the monarchs

[Margaret Brown]

Interesting, super capture too

[carol white]

Great find and capture

[Ashley]

Looks like swan feathers too! So glad you shared this - it’s gorgeous!

[julia]

It is a swan plant Babs.. food for the Monarch butterflys.. sorry bit slow in answering as away on a Camera Club overnighter.. photos to come.. and wifi a bit dodgy..

[haskar]

Well find. Great capture.

[gloria jones]

Great find and capture

[Pat Knowles]

Good you’ve found the name Babs, you can always rely on 365 friends!

[Leslie]

that's some serious seeds ... glad you got the ID on it

[Carole Sandford]

Not one that I know! Unusual definitely!

[Ann H. LeFevre]

It reminded me of Milkweed too- which is what grows around here and Monarchs love it! So now I know the Aussie version is Swan Plant- cool!

[Babs]

@ludwigsdiana @bkbinthecity @kjarn @brennieb @peadar @happysnaps @yaorenliu @gilbertwood @sangwann @louannwarren @creativenature72 @salza @creativenature72 @salza @pdulis @samae @craftymeg @carolmw @shesnapped @julzmaioro @haskar @seattlite @happypat @lesip @carole_sandford @olivetreeann Thanks so much to Karen, Denise, Julia and Merrelyn for identifying the plant for me and for the link about it, so interesting. I like the idea that its common name is a swan plant. I have another photo of it and I can see why. I will post that photo later in the week.

Others of you also said it is a variety of milkweed and from reading the link it is indeed a variety of milkweed. I just love how everyone on 365 is so helpful at identifying mysteries for us.

Glad you were able to get away for a bit of R and R with the camera club Julia look forward to the photos. @julzmaioro I expect all your family are helping Farmer George while he is out of action.

[Marnie]

I enjoyed the photo, but had no clue about the plant ID. What a wonderful group of people we have here, and so knowledgeable.

[Babs]

@golftragic None of us could identify it at the time either. So glad I posted it on here. There are always some smart people on 365 who can identify plants for me. I am hopeless at it.

I saw from the link Karen sent that it is also called Bishop's balls. Too much information, ha ha. There are some things you just can't un-see.

[Pyrrhula]

Great shot , Very unuseal and interresting. Fav.

[Marnie]

@onewing Not going there Babs.

[Jennifer Eurell]

I don't know what it is either, but they grow along my sister in laws driveway at Hilldale just north of Peterson.