Fun Facts about Milkweed
Common Milkweed. A beautiful, perrenial wildflower that grows to 5 feet tall and has played key roles in our environment for years.
Fun facts about the Common Milkweed:
🌸 There are ~140 species of milkweed plants.
🌸 They bloom from June to August.
🌸450 insects feed on some part of the plant, including bees, wasps, ants, beetles, and they are the ONLY food source for Monarch caterpillars!
🌸Without milkweed, we would no longer have Monarch butterflies.
🌸Milkweed is named for its milky sap, which contains toxins that are poisonous to humans and animals. Because the Monarch caterpillar eats this toxic sap, the caterpillars and adult Monarch butterflies are also poisonous as a defense mechanism.
🌸Milkweed seed pods contain a fluffy white floss that have been historically used to stuff pillows, mattresses, and even life jackets! The floss is said to be 6x more buoyant than cork!
Fun facts about the Common Milkweed:
🌸 There are ~140 species of milkweed plants.
🌸 They bloom from June to August.
🌸450 insects feed on some part of the plant, including bees, wasps, ants, beetles, and they are the ONLY food source for Monarch caterpillars!
🌸Without milkweed, we would no longer have Monarch butterflies.
🌸Milkweed is named for its milky sap, which contains toxins that are poisonous to humans and animals. Because the Monarch caterpillar eats this toxic sap, the caterpillars and adult Monarch butterflies are also poisonous as a defense mechanism.
🌸Milkweed seed pods contain a fluffy white floss that have been historically used to stuff pillows, mattresses, and even life jackets! The floss is said to be 6x more buoyant than cork!
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