Tweedia

Tweedia
Tweedia caerulea, flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Asclepiadaceae
Genus:	Tweedia

Tweedia (syn Oxypetalum) is a genus of one species of straggling perennial grown for its clear pale blue, star shaped flowers, which are long lasting and cut well.

Cultivation

Tweedia require full sun in a well-drained soil that is dry. It is slightly frost hardy but requires little maintenance. Propagation is via seed.^[1]

Species

Tweedia caerulea (syn. Oxypetalum caeruleum) is a perennial plant to 3ft with heart shaped, gray-green, downy leaves. The summer flowers age to purple and are followed by 6in long, boat shaped seed pods.The seeds have downy parachute like tufts (cipsela).

• T.c. Alba has white flowers.
• T.c. Rosea has pink flowers.

References

1. ^ Botanica's Organic Gardening, Random House Publishing, Sydney, 2002, ISBN 1 74051 426 2