Add common milkweed to your garden to make colorful insects happy
Common milkweed is a native plant with a robust appearance and a downy feel. Flower clusters are formed mostly where the leaves join the stems and are shades of dusty rose, lavender and occasionally a dull brownish purple. They have a delightful, flowery fragrance. The gray-green seed pods are pointed and warty. Plants can grow from 3 feet to more than 6 feet tall during the growing season. The thick, white, Latex-like sap in the milkweed plant contains compounds called cardiac glycosides, which are toxic to many animals. Insects that have adapted to feed on milkweed are able to get around these chemical defenses. Many of them take the extra step of incorporating the milkweeds toxins into their own bodies, making them distasteful to predators. These milkweed specialists warn would-be attackers with bright colors on their bodies, which puts them among some of the most colorful insects in Michigan yards and gardens. Read More