Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Oh MY! So Tiny!

August 29, 2026

Yesterday I was out looking for Monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus), not knowing if I would actually find any. But sure enough I found one in a patch of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). A Monarch caterpillar much smaller than I have ever seen in the past. The caterpillar in this picture is just 1/4 inch long, and this one is not newly hatched. They measure just 1/10 of an inch at that point and have no stripes.

There is a key connection between Monarchs and Milkweed plants. Female Monarchs seek out Milkweed plants on which to lay their eggs. Once hatched, the caterpillars only eat the leaves of the Milkweed which holds a milky, toxin filled sap, that is harmful to many animals, but is tolerated and stored not only in the caterpillars but also in the adult Monarch. This toxin creates a bad taste and can cause sickness in predators with backbones (vertebrates), protecting the Monarchs from being eaten.

Nature is amazing.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Great Spangled Fritillary On Common Milkweed

June 20, 2026

Yesterday Great Spangled Fritillaries (Speyeria cybele) and several species of bees were found on a patch of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) up here.

Oh, what a fragrance those flowers have! That scent must be an invitation to pollinators all around, a plea perhaps, to come drink the nectar and help spread the pollen to other plants here in the patch.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Relying On Wind Dispersal

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.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!