Blossom

Photo by Jim Jung. All rights reserved

Swamp Milkweed

Swamp Milkweed goes into fragrant bloom in the late summer. Look for it in ditches along highways and in wet, swampy fields. The Milkweeds (14 species in So. Illinois) are an important larval food plant for the Monarch Butterfly and is also extremely popular with the adults when in bloom. Its blooming signals the arrival of fall in our area and by late fall its fluffy seeds will be floating everywhere.

Seed pod

Photo by Ruby Jung. All rights reserved

The young tender spring shoots are supposed to be edible (I haven't tried them) but be sure to cook them in a change of water to remove the toxins this very toxic plant contains. The plant is full of cardiac glycosides which affect the ability of the heart to pump blood. The caustic, milky sap or latex of this plant (like nearly all milkweeds) was once used to remove warts.

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• Gardening for Moths and Butterflies

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