Milkweed flower

I don't suppose most people consider the common milkweed to be a garden flower, but it has a lovely aroma and deserves some consideration on that basis alone.  Plus, it feeds Monarch butterflies, and that certainly adds to its cachet.

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/125
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	160
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Milkweed pod redux

After a week or so, this is what those once orderly seeds look like.  I figured I'd try to take the time to compose a photo instead of snap one on the fly.

Lens	Minolta MD 50mm F1.4
F Number	1.4
Focal Length	50.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/500
Shooting Mode	Manual
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Milkweed pod

This is how the milkweeds end up; leaves gone, pod brown and dry.  Finally, when the seeds are ready, the pod splits open and the seeds float off on the wind.  The next generation.

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/200
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Milkweed

It's time for my annual milkweed photo.  Form certainly follows function here - the packaging is an exquisite wat to protect the delicate seeds until they are ready to be launched on their journey of propagation.  Who knows where these may end up; what monarch butterflies they'll nurture?

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Milkweed seeds

My wife likes to let a few milkweed plants grow for the butterflies to eat. At the end of their growing season, the seed pods burst open revealing scores of seeds. Each one has its own fluffy sail, ready to go out into the world and make a mark. And maybe feed some butterflies.

Milkweed seeds

I see this as the first sign of autumn. The milkweed plants have reached maturity and the seeds are being liberated to fly off to make new milkweeds for next year. They're so light and airy that even breathing on them will set the off on their journey.

Milkweed seeds

It's the time of the year when the milkweeds go to seed. Their pods burst open and the seeds float off on their little parachutes. And let me tell you, they are fertile! I'll be pulling up milkweeds by the dozens in the spring, and there'll still be plenty more to attract the Monarch butterflies.

Busy bee

Summer is winding down, and the bees need to get their last stores in before all the flowers are gone. This bee is basking in the sun on a milkweed pod; I don't understand her motivation here; maybe she's just visiting with the yellow-orange aphids.

I'm realising I take a lot of macro photos, and that's probably because the old digital camera I have (a Nikon Coolpix 950) allows very close shots - almost as good as my trusty Minolta SRT 35mm film camera with all the nice lenses.

Monarch butterfly caterpillar

My wife keeps some milkweed around because Monarch Butterflies like to eat them. This is one of the caterpillars, moving around a milkweed leaf. Head is at the left.

Milkweed pods

The milkweed plants are transforming their flowers from a month ago into seed bearing pods. Right now, they're tight and packed with growing seeds. In another month they'll split open and cast their seeds to the wind.

I liked the beetle and the aphids!

Milkweed flowers

The milkweed is blooming.

That may not sound like a wonderful thing, but it's pretty cool. Although they have broad leaves and shade (and crowd out) other plants in the garden, the butterflies like them, and if you lean close, they have a very subtle fragrance which is very pleasant.

In the autumn, those flowers will have been transformed into pods containing dozens of seeds, each one on a tuft of fluff, waiting for the wind to carry it to a new place. Where they'll bloom next summer.

We always leave a few of these to grow in the garden. If you are so inclined, be aggressive when pulling them in the spring - they will take over!