all the random stuff

gallusrostromegalus:

tenuousness:

gallusrostromegalus:

That is a MILKWEED!

It’s a terrific plant to have around if you’re in the continental US. TONS of insects, beneficial fungi and other plants depend on it- notably, it’s KEY to preserving Monarch Butterflies. It’s also a really important plant for preventing erosion, helping native grasses return to disturbed environments, and soil aeration because of it’s extensive root system.

Milkweed is an annual plant- it will die in the fall and release it’s seeds. The spiky “fruit” is it’s seed pod, which will dry out and pop open, spreading tons of seeds with feathery wind-catching wisps to the surrounding area. You can help it by shaking any trapped seeds loose on a windy day after it’s been open for at least a week, or you can take some of the seeds and try propagating your own!

Please note that Milkweed is NOT edible and the above-ground parts of the plant are toxic to humans, dogs, cats and livestock, but most mammals avoid it because of it’s extremely nasty taste. Please do not lick or otherwise ingest the milkweed.

Instead, enjoy your new friend by helping spread her seeds, observing and/or documenting the animals that come to her, and enjoying her wonderfully complex spring blossoms.

Hi! I have some additional context as an ecosystem restoration nerd.

Milkweed is the genus of plants and this specific species looks to be Asclepias speciosa AKA “showy milkweed” which is common in western North America.

I am not personally familiar with this specific species, but I used the app iNaturalist, which is pretty good at IDing plants (and many other forms of life) using photos. iNaturalist is a citizen science app where you take photos (and/or upload sounds), tentatively ID them, and have other naturalists confirm (or disconfirm) your identification. That more verified data can then be used in scientific studies or as data for conservation plans.

If you aren’t confident in stepping into the world of iNaturalist, you can also just use the automated suggestion and then not upload it, or use their other app, Seek. Seek only does image recognition and has some fun badges as to track your progress in seeing different species.

These apps are a nice introductory way to get into plant identification, without having to buy a field guide and learn how to use a dichotomous key (which is also great if you’re interested in organism ID!)

One warning and caveat to Gallus’s summary of milkweeds is that while in general, members of the species are very good for butterflies (and especially migrating Monarch butterflies) the most common milkweed you can buy at most North American landscaping stores is introduced from South and Central America and seems to be detrimental to Monarchs when in less tropical climates. It is called “tropical milkweed” but may go by other names at big box stores, so I would recommend looking at photos of it before buying any milkweed from Lowes, Home Depot, etc. The scientific name is Asclepias curassavica.

The reason why curassavica is harmful to Monarchs in particular is that when introduced to North America, it does not die back in the same way as other milkweed species in the fall and winter. Because it can overwinter, it can build up a reservoir of parasites that target Monarchs (informally called OE) which can harm Monarch population numbers. Here is a article explainer from Xerces Society (a nonprofit focussed on pollinator conservation) about it: https://xerces.org/blog/tropical-milkweed-a-no-grow

Anyhow, welcome to the wonderful world of plant ID! I hope these resources help.

Great to know and thank you for sharing!

I’d like to add that blooming milkweed flowers smell absolutely amazing, and while most of the plant is not edible, the flower bud umbrels can be boiled like a delicious spring vegetable when they have not yet turned pink:

Source: I’ve eaten them, and also this Fresh & Foraged page on the subject, which notes that the source of the “is it edible” controversy may have involved dogweed shoots being confused for early milkweed shoots, a problem that doesn’t occur with buds. (A quick google suggests that geographical factors might affect taste drastically enough to have influenced wild-food scholars, but even Euell Gibbons does include milkweed [recommending a change of boiling water to leach out bitterness] in Stalking the Wild Asparagus, so it sounds like the new stalks can also be made edible with care. Always be cautious when tasting a new wild food in case there’s a personal food sensitivity you didn’t know about.)