Milkweed This herb
produces red and yellow blossoms in the spring
which are less than an inch across. The 5 outside
petals, or corolla, are red and curve down. The 5
inside petals are hooded and yellow or orange. They
grow in a cluster at the top of woody stems
The
milkweed has a white, poisonous sap from which it
gets its name, and can grow to be 2 to 3 1/2 feet.
It has big leaves that can grow to be 9 inches -1
foot long. The seeds, which grow in a pod, have a
silky tuft of hair which allows them to be blown by
the wind like little parachutes. It attracts
bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Monarch
butterflies particularly like it , just like
butterfly weed, which is in the same family.
Milkweed is the flower of choice for Monarchs in
North America. Milkweed is a native plant of the South American grasslands. It can be found in southern Canada, and the central United States, but its favorite place to grow is South America. by Becky W. 2000.
bibliography: (1999). Island Co-housing Plant Manual, Martha's Vineyard: Indigo Farm. (1985). Grassland and Tundra, Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books Inc. Cronquist, A. & Hitchcock, C. (1973). Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Seattle and London: University of Washington Press. "Milkweed" http://www.desertUSA.com (6-6-00) |