plant milkweed

these are milkweed seed pods.

i love these. when they float around the yard, they remind me of little fairies.

i planted milkweed. lots of milkweed.

from when the caterpillars hatch to full grown, each one will need at least 20 leaves.

i bought a few plants from the local nursery, started some from seed, and some from cuttings.

milkweed is self propagating. you can cut 4" stems off an established plant, place it in water - and once it has roots, plant it in your garden.

caution with milkweed: when cutting a growing plant, the white "milk" sap of the plant contains components that can irritate the skin and eyes. the sap is like the juice of a hot pepper that can create a slow burning sensation. wash your hands well if you get some on you. do not eat milkweed. it tastes horrible and consumption of even a small amount is a purgative (makes you vomit). the plants also contains varied amounts of a Cardenolide glycosides which can be harmful and cause cardiac arrest if ingested in large amounts. this horrible taste is the major defense of the monarch against predators.