I think they would really liven gardens up!

I don't think there are any as species - could be wrong. There are over 100 types.

There is one that is apparently a hybrid - a variegated tropical milkweed called Monarch Promise. I know nothing of it.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/...

Some marketing blurb from the company selling it.

http://www.gpnmag.com/crop-cul...

DavidLMO said:I don't think there are any as species - could be wrong. There are over 100 types.

There is one that is apparently a hybrid - a variegated tropical milkweed called Monarch Promise. I know nothing of it.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/...

Some marketing blurb from the company selling it.

http://www.gpnmag.com/crop-cul...

I checked and it's for sale all over, thank you! Hoping Hardy species come in it soon too!

I'd be wary of designed plants whiteness in any plants a serious flaw by natural standards not to say they won't look good but its one thing to have domestic plants which are varigated quite another to breed native milkweeds unusually. Just my 2 cents

When I see things like this, I say "Why MUST you screw around with ......" Fill in the blank.

Since the underlying plant is apparently Tropical, it ain't hardy in much of the US so I hope they lose their shirt. As if there are not enough beautiful MW species to plant now. Feh. And I simply cannot imagine growing a MW for foliage (other than for cats!). Wonder what the Monarch Cats think of this?

DavidLMO said: When I see things like this, I say "Why MUST you screw around with ......" Fill in the blank.

Since the underlying plant is apparently Tropical, it ain't hardy in much of the US so I hope they lose their shirt. As if there are not enough beautiful MW species to plant now. Feh. And I simply cannot imagine growing a MW for foliage (other than for cats!). Wonder what the Monarch Cats think of this?

Everyone owns some plant that has been altered in some way. I can't believe people find this offensive? I'm going to buy some. By the way there are monarch breeding programs for white butterflies instead of orange, guess they'll match this plant 😉

Everyone's intitled to there own opinions I just think it's strange

keithp2012 said:
I can't believe people find this offensive?

Whatever. Opinions differ - one's is worth no more than another's.

I'm going to buy some. By the way there are monarch breeding programs for white butterflies instead of orange, guess they'll match this plant 😉[/quote]

Go for it - you will have to over-winter it indoors.

They do not have to breed white Monarchs if that is what you are referring to - they occur naturally.

DavidLMO said:

Whatever. Opinions differ - one's is worth no more than another's.

I'm going to buy some. By the way there are monarch breeding programs for white butterflies instead of orange, guess they'll match this plant 😉

Go for it - you will have to over-winter it indoors.

They do not have to breed white Monarchs if that is what you are referring to - they occur naturally.

[/quote]

They are breeding more of them purposely I guess, yes you are right they do rarely occur naturally in the wild.

FYI....

http://monarchwatch.org/read/a...

As the gpnmag.com article about ‘Monarch Promise’ states,

"This very special Asclepias curassavica has beautiful green and white variegated foliage that is tinged with red, orange and pink leaf tips.... It was found by a butterfly breeder in Florida because she used it on her farm for its food source for her Monarch caterpillars."

It is just a spontaneous mutation, or "sport," of Asclepias curassavica that occurred on its own. It is not a hybrid or the result of humans tampering with its genetics.

http://www.google.com/patents/...

Ah. I had not seen that info. Thanks for posting. A sport. I withdraw any negative comments from above.
Wonder what its seeds produce?

DavidLMO said:Ah. I had not seen that info. Thanks for posting. A sport. I withdraw any negative comments from above.
Wonder what its seeds produce?

Well it says it's been grown from cuttings from a sport, so from seed probability for variegation is low, but not impossible.

I wonder how they think they can get a patent, if the plant came from a naturally occurring sport?

If another one grows spontaneously in my yard, and I propagate it I would think they'll have a very hard time proving that my plant is identical to their plant, and defending their patent.

But then .. . I think trying to get a patent on any plant is pretty dumb in the first place. People are going to propagate plants no matter, and give them to friends and family so what's the use?

I believe that you can get a patent on a plant if the mutation occurs in cultivation but not if it occurs in the wild. Of course, it also has to have characteristics that make it unique but I think those standards may be a bit loose considering how many patented plants of one species can look so similar.

If you had a plant that spontaneously mutated it would not be the same as their plant and would not be protected by the patent. Your plant would likely be different genetically to begin with unless the parent plant was the same cultivar/clone. Even if the original was the same genetically, the chance that the same exact mutation would occur would be exceedingly unlikely. It might look similar but genetically it would differ.

Danita said:I believe that you can get a patent on a plant if the mutation occurs in cultivation but not if it occurs in the wild. Of course, it also has to have characteristics that make it unique but I think those standards may be a bit loose considering how many patented plants of one species can look so similar.

If you had a plant that spontaneously mutated it would not be the same as their plant and would not be protected by the patent. Your plant would likely be different genetically to begin with unless the parent plant was the same cultivar/clone. Even if the original was the same genetically, the chance that the same exact mutation would occur would be exceedingly unlikely. It might look similar but genetically it would differ.

I've got two plants I could patent as I got them in my cultivation from seed, and the coloring mutation is not available in stores or anywhere, plus they breed fairly good from seed or cuttings. How does one patent plants?

File an app at the Patent & Trademark office. It is so complicated, you likely will have to hire lawyers. The going rate in DC is > $ 500 per hour. Good luck

Rotary Botanical Gardens trialed 'Monarch Promise' last summer.

Here's their article on it, with some nice pictures!: http://rotarygardens.blogspot....

Interesting article. But Tropical MW is not an Annual - it is a perennial - not hardy in their Wisconsin zone. And there is nothing anyone can do to make it hardy - with out screwing around at the DNA/Gene level.

I'll pass on this one, thanks.

Lots of tender perennials are used as annuals in the northern tier states and Canada, though.

Btw, who's that guy on this forum who keeps all sorts of tender perennials going in his basement . . .