AS YOU MAY RECALL, I was a seedsman for a few years in my twenties and have always been fascinated by the world of seeds. Seeds are uniquely adapted structures formed in a flowering plant’s embryo after fertilization from pollen grains. They are Nature’s miracle and are given such a critical role in the continuation of their species.
Watching Common Milkweed seeds appear in their pods this week delighted me. I captured this in the above photo during my morning walk. It brought back memories from high school biology class where I learned about reproduction either by sexual or asexual means. This was also when I would get nervous that the girls seated at my lab table knew more about fertilization than I did. It took me many years to finally figure it out, and just barely.
Milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.) use the wind to disperse their fertilized seeds. They are attached to fluffy material called floss that acts like a miniature sail to carry the seeds in the wind to arrive at a new location that can support germination to set up shop for next year, so to speak.
Remarkably, milkweed has taken on quite a role in the world of Monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies migrate 2,500 miles from Michigan to the mountains of central Mexico to overwinter. They need each other to allow the two species to progress in their collective life cycles. Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed, and the butterflies lay their eggs on the plant's broad green leaves in summer. Without enough milkweed, the monarch butterfly population is at risk of extinction.
If you’ve been out and about and come across a young milkweed plant, I’m sure you’ve noticed that breaking off a leaf or stem creates a profusion of milky sap. It reminds me of Elmer’s glue. This substance contains a toxic chemical (cardenolides) that Monarchs can tolerate but is deadly to its predators. You don’t want to eat many Monarchs if you’re a predator bird. It is part of an evolutionary adaptability to help Monarchs and milkweed survive together in nature.
I read that Michigan passed House Bill 4857 in the spring of 2024 to protect milkweed, classifying it as a beneficial plant rather than a noxious weed. This legislation prevents local municipalities from eradicating milkweed plants. This is a good step in the right direction.
Here's to humans for helping the amazing Monarch butterfly by protecting Common Milkweed. Not such a common act in the scheme of things.
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