One of my favourite things to see are these lovely milkweed plants. In the summer the flowers are really lovely, but it's at this time of year that I really think they look beautiful. The pods open up and fluffy fuzz pours out along with these lovely brown seeds. They looks so soft (and feel that way too!). I did buy myself a little Michigan wildflower book so I could look up plants when I saw them.
My book says: There are over 2000 milkweed species worldwide, 12 in Michigan. A unique pollination system involves sacs of pollen that snag on an insect's leg; the insect then unwittingly inserts the sacs into slits on other flowers. The plant's milky sap contains cardiac glycosides and, if eaten, will cause hot flashes, rapid heart rate and general weakness. The Monarch butterfly lays its eggs exclusively on milkweeds. Monarch caterpillars ingest the toxic sap with no ill effects, but they then become toxic to birds and other animals. Fibers from old stems are used by orioles for making nests.
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