Hi Alimae

The book, Magic and Medicine of Plants, states that the young shoots, flowers and pods may be used as vegetables, but they must be boiled in three or four different batches of water to remove toxic substances and make them safe to eat. The cooking water should be thrown away.

It also mentions that Milkweed was once cultivated for the silky down from its giant seedpods, which was used to stuff beds, pillows, and - during World War II - life jackets.