Fluffy Parachutes of Silk
Fluffy Parachutes of Silk, the milkweed plant contain thousands of seeds, each attached to a silky thread. In late autumn as the plant is beginning to desiccate, these pods split open and release the seeds, each attached to a fluffy parachute.
I planted Milkweed in my garden 2 years ago and this year they finally produced seed pods. It is that time of year where the pods split open and the silks will shine with a soft tremulous light in the morning light.
But milkweed is best known for being a host plant to monarch butterflies—the only plant, in fact, that feeds monarch caterpillars and on which monarch butterflies lay their eggs.
Consuming milkweed has a particular benefit for the caterpillar: The plant contains a toxin poisonous to most vertebrates, but not to monarchs; eating it makes the monarch caterpillar poisonous to potential predators.
I was taking photographs of a sunrise the other day and I glanced over at these milkweed plants just shinning in the morning light.
Fluffy Parachutes of Silk
56 Replies to “Fluffy Parachutes of Silk”
Unfortunately, taking any, round here, is practically a crime (talking about those silky, milkweed seeds that resemble a dandelion wish seed that floats in the wind)
Really?, even if they are growing in the wild? You can actually order milk weed seeds on line, they are plentiful everywhere. Interested to know why it is a crime.🙂
Answer to inteested is, the county has separated the citizens and people of the county from the county. A county resident could try and use a resource natiral inthe county, but the county says thats the countys you cant take that. People have given up their responsibility as employers of the county, due to convenience and appathy, or too busy or distracted,…..
Very interesting, thank you for explaining that.
Sure.
Hope you have a nice Thanksgiving.
Take care.
Thank you, you also 🙂
I like those too. They are a treasure
🙂 Thank you, yes they are so shinny in the sun.
Nays
This was my first year and I had three seed pods come in.
Nice, I just picked the one pod I had on my plant and brought it inside to dry, and I will plant the seeds next year again. 🙂
Fabulous photos! I have some milkweed plants and here in the southwest desert, they go to seed starting in early July. The last one went to seed the end of October. I collected quite a few of the seeds because I want more of these! Sadly, I’ve never had a monarch, at least not yet.
Thank you Emilie, yes I have been doing the same. I just picked the one pod off of my milk weed plant and but it in a bag to save until next year and I will plant those. It took two years for me to see one Monarch on my milkweed plants in my backyard. It was the caterpillar, and not long after I saw that, I had a Monarch staying on my plants.
Beautiful light in the morning.. 😉
Thank you very much Lisa.🙂
wow..
Thank you very much 🙂
https://worldcreativities.com/
Una magia….
You’ll show us many Monarchs next Summer just like the beautiful picture you showed us here. I like how the sunrise was showing through the milkweed in the early morning. Very beautiful Sandra.
Thank you Linda, I am already looking forward to planting more flowers for them.
I thought of you today – I was in the park where the volunteer garden is … there was lots of milkweed pods with fuzz flying everywhere. Funny, when they planted the milkweed in that garden I couldn’t find it last year – went back several times, didn’t see it. Have not been there since the Monarchs on the Lantana … there was lots of milkweed, so whatever flies and lands, hopefully spreads more of it. It may not “take” like yours as you will nurture yours and water it, but I’ll be hopeful too.
I had one plant come up the first year, and it did not grow very fast. Then I had two plants the next year. The ones I planted I found out spread from the roots. Now this year I had 6 plants out there. So they should keep growing every year, but it took a couple years for them to start looking like plants and I did not get a pod on them until after 2 years old plants.
Thank you for explaining that Sandra – I could not figure out why I couldn’t see anything over there.
Great stuff Sandra.
But here’s the question of the day. If a bird eats a Monarch caterpillar or butterfly and dies, how is that information communicated to all the other birds to steer clear? The bird’s dead he can’t tell anyone. Hmmmmm
Stay well and Laugh
Hmm, is right. 🙂😳🤔
Exquisite! Just beautiful!
Thank you very much Mary
Beautiful. I’ve tried to catch them floating in the air. It’s very difficult.
It is difficult, I saved a couple pods to replant in the spring and one pod broke open, the slightest amount of air makes them fly away instantly, the silk works so well to distribute the seeds. 🙂
Some interesting and beautiful captures Sandra. The white sap from the Milkweed plant when applied fresh on a regular basis is an old folk medicine cure for warts, among other things.
That is good to know, there is so many uses for different plants. It said they used the silk for stuffing pillows also. That would be so hard to gather the silks, they fly away so easy.
beautiful
Thank you very much Seraja, 🙂
your welcome sweetie 💋💋💋
Dawn’s light illuminating the milkweed pod is a beautiful perspective. I have so many good childhood memories of my brother and I going into the cornfields to help those fluffy parachutes take flight. In October my Dad and I went hiking in a meadow preserve and were surprised to see so many monarchs still lingering, especially since the milkweed had all gone to seed. The asters and goldenrod were in full bloom, and we learned that these two varieties of flowers provide the nectar the migrating Monarchs need to make the next leg of their journey. I’m now thinking of adding asters to my flower bed.
Thank you for this information Beth, I did not know that about the other two flowers. I will be doing the same.
Beautiful Sandra! So interesting to learn about the Monarch butterflies and milkweed plants. I love the photo with the morning light.
Thank you very much, they are so pretty when the seeds float off the pods.
The milkweed looks like unicorn hair! So pretty, I love butterflies.
Yes, they are so unique. Thank you
Very interesting about consuming the milkweed, this was new for me. I hope your wilkweed attracts many monarch butterflies.
Thank you very much, my plants are doing real well. They produce more every year.
Great plant for pollinators.
Yes, they really are, thank you Ryan 🙂
What your friend said above… I’ve been to the monarch reserve in Pacific Grove. It’s a pretty impressive sight.
Thank you Greg, I have never been to anything like that, I know I would love it though. 🙂
Definitely worth visiting! I could never live in Pacific Grove, too expensive and not the right mentality for me, but it’s a great town to take a walk in.
Wonderful! I have always loved Monarch butterflies and the past few years have spent Christmas near Monterey/Pacific Grove where the Monarchs overwinter. It is fascinating to see them bunched up on tall trees looking like a bunch of dead leaves that have not yet fallen off the tree. They are actually huddled together for what may be protection and/or warmth with their wings closed.
How very interesting, I would love to see that. I only saw maybe 6 Monarchs all summer. I used to see so many more when I was younger.
That is sad. Yesterday. I saw a beautiful butterfly with what looked like a tear on it’s wing
It was resting on the sidewalk. Today I think I saw the same butterfly in the same spot with it’s wings closed up
It was probably still too cool to fly since the sun hadn’t reached that spot yet.
Beautiful photos.
Thanks, Sandra. Have a nice day.
You to Francine, thank you 🙂
That would have been a perfect Halloween post. That scary they look. 🙂
I never thought of that Jo, I have so many photos waiting in folders that it is hard to remember what all I have until I get to them. 🙂 Thank you Jo,
❤️