Plant of the Month: Milkweed
Here are some fun facts about milkweeds:
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Butterfly Buffet!
Milkweed is the favorite food of monarch butterfly caterpillars. Without milkweed, monarchs can’t survive! -
Sticky Trick!
Milkweed gets its name because it has a sticky, white sap inside that looks like milk. But be careful—it’s not for drinking! -
Floating Seeds!
Milkweed seeds have fluffy, silky threads that help them float through the air like little parachutes when the pods burst open. -
Bug Hotel!
Milkweed plants are like a hotel for insects. Besides monarchs, bees, beetles, and ladybugs love hanging out on milkweed flowers. -
Super Sweet Smell!
Milkweed flowers smell amazing, like honey, which makes them a favorite for pollinators like bees and butterflies.
…some more fun facts about milkweeds:
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Sticky Sap Defense!
The white sap inside milkweed is a natural bug repellent, protecting the plant from being eaten by most animals. -
Puffy Pods!
When milkweed blooms are done, they grow big, green seed pods that eventually pop open to release seeds. They look like nature’s balloons! -
Nature’s Armor!
Monarch butterflies use milkweed’s chemicals to make themselves taste bad to predators, like birds. It’s their secret shield! -
Glow-in-the-Dark Potential!
Milkweed sap contains chemicals that have been used to make glow-in-the-dark materials. Nature is full of surprises! -
Super Plant Powers!
People have used milkweed for centuries! Its fibers were used to make rope and cloth, and during World War II, it was even used to stuff life jackets.
