Balloon Plant

A very versatile plant, all parts of the plant are edible (in moderation). Bees, butterflies and many other beneficial insects love the beautiful flowers.
The young leaf shoots (stir-fried) taste like asparagus, the tips of the older shoots are eaten (briefly stewed) like spinach, the flower buds and young fruits of 3-4 cm (briefly cooked or stir-fried) are deliciously crispy. The flowers can be cooked into a delicious syrup. During hot days, so much nectar accumulates in the flowers that it crystallizes and can be eaten as mini-candies.
The healing properties of the plant have been known to Native Americans for centuries; the root extract is known, which is used by experts against pleurisy, but you can find many more applications on the internet!
The stems of the maturing plant are a popular fiber supplier, the fluff in the ripe fruits is as soft as silk and is used as filling in pillows, fiber for clothing and... as a filter for oil pollution in the sea. There are many more applications, see for example the website pfaf.org
Finally (last-but-not-least) this is a fairly hardy, bright orange flowering, very ornamental plant in the garden. In winter, the plants do not want to be wet, so ensure good drainage. The flowering period is in June-August at a height of 70 cm. (See also 329885 Zijdezaligheid)

Names:
Latin: Asclepias tuberosa
Dutch: Knolzijdeplant
Also known as: Zijdezaligheid or Pleuriswortel
English: Pleurisy Root, Butterfly milkweed, Rolfs' milkweed, Indian Paintbrush