The Bovine Bugle

A weed that makes a beautiful picture

This picture is of a milkweed pod that has opened and is dispersing its seeds. Milkweed grows all over the farm. The cows won't graze it, people can eat the very young shoots in the spring, and it is the only thing that Monarch butterfly caterpillars eat. After the clusters of flowers are pollinated, the plant forms pods where the seeds mature. When ready, the pods split open and the seeds float away on stems of down, similar to the dandelions. The empty, dry pods on the stem of the plant make a nice touch when decorating wreaths.

--Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont

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Posted by Blogger Chris at October 20, 2005 08:59 PM