The milkweed pods have been bursting open to release all the seeds. I let these plants grow in a wild area of the garden to attract the Monarch butterflies. Milkweed is an important source of nectar for bees and other insects. It is the only food source for the Monarch butterflies.
When the pod splits open all the soft feathery fluff bursts out. The common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, can be invasive. In some parts of Canada the milkweed is considered a harmful weed because it can spread quickly on farmland.
A seed is attached to each little puff of fluff, technically called a papus of silky hair. The fluff acts like a helicopter and flies the seed through the air to a new spot where it might grow.
The seeds are flat and a reddish brown colour.
More from The Gardener Side
plants … seed info … veggies & herbs … bulbs, corms, tubers
the gardens … whimsy in the garden
