November 17, 2025

Seeds of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca).

We’ve had such big winds these past few days, these particular seeds probably have blown long distances thanks to their silken threads. Those silken threads, called floss, act like parachutes taking the seeds to new places to grow. These plants, and other species of Milkweed, help Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) that use those many species of Milkweed as their host plants.

The seeds develop in pods that are 2 to 4 inches in length. Each pod contains on average 200 to 250 seeds. When the seeds are mature the pod will burst open revealing those many seeds in perfect tight rows waiting to be blown away.

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