Milkweed Explorer

Day 254: Last year, my milkweed finally bloomed, but never made pods to set seed. Milkweed isn't pollinated like other plants where loose pollen is transported from one plant to another. Its pollen particles are waxy, and adhere to one another to form masses called pollinia. These can only be accessed through a narrow slit in the side of the stigma. When an insect accidentally gets a leg inside the slit, sometimes a pollinium or two (they occur in pairs) gets caught and extracted. Now comes the tricky part. The insect must now get its leg caught in a slit again, but on another plant, and then if the Pollination Gods are smiling, some of the pollen from the pollinia/pollinium will be left behind. Fortunately for milkweed species, insects aren't too bright, so the chances of getting a foot caught in the same kind of "bear trap" twice are relatively high. Milkweed is pollinated largely by insects, but here there seems to be an arachnid ready to offer a helping hand...I mean, "foot."

Bearing Good News

Day 339: Woolly Bears (the caterpillar of the Isabella Tiger Moth) used to be very common here, so much so that I might have to stop every ten feet or so to carry one to safety if I was out walking along the road. I won't blame cars entirely, but these endearing little creatures have become increasingly hard to find over the last two decades or so, and now I seldom see them even when I'm looking for them. Today, I was delightfully surprised to see one investigating my milkweed plants. The milkweed bloomed but did not set seed. I had been hoping for pods, but if the plants serve instead as a snack for Woolly Bears, that's even better. It did my heart good to see this little fellow. I hope he enjoys his meal and gives a good review to all his friends.

After The Blizzard

Day 268: Three years ago, an early autumn blizzard swept down out of Canada and left my kitchen deep in its drifts when I inadvertently opened a seemingly innocent envelope. It took quite some time to collect the individual flakes, but in the end, they were transported to the Barren Wasteland where, theoretically, they were supposed to develop into milkweed plants and the charming seed pods typical of the species. Until now, they had not shown any sign of flowering. However, at this point, one of the tallest plants is showing promise. A second batch of seed from another source was planted the following year. Those plants, although as tall as these, do not appear to be going to bloom this year. Maybe next year? Do they need to be established for three years before flowering occurs?

All Foliage, No Flowers

Day 262: The two readers who supplied me with seeds will undoubtedly recognize this plant from the foliage, and perhaps one of them can give me a clue as to why it comes back year after year but never blooms. It is milkweed, and until an inflorescence appears, I will be unable to confirm the exact species (presumably Asclepias syriaca). The plants appear quite healthy otherwise. The tallest is currently about 3', but of the dozen or so stalks, not a one has ever shown any inclination to flower. Nor have they ever exhibited signs of insect damage, presumably due to the absence of flowers which would attract bugs. I did not expect Monarchs, no. They are rarely found in western Washington. However, their flyway crosses eastern Washington where milkweed plants are abundant.

Milkweed, Second Year

Day 302: The Barren Wasteland was getting out of hand, so early this spring, I weeded out the undesirables (frequently distributed in so-called area-specific wildflower mixes) to make room for other plants. I do not recall relocating any milkweeds. In fact, I do not remember seeing any milkweeds at all despite having attempted to establish them several times. Yet in addition to the ones I started from seed this year (now all of six inches tall), I seem to have two specimens, each standing at least three feet high. Will I get flowers and pods? If in fact, this is second-year growth and not some particularly vigorous first-year seedlings, they should come into bloom this season. I see no evidence of bud formation, however. Could these be from seed I had planted previously and which has lain dormant for several years? Whatever the answer may be to that question, I am happy to announce the presence of milkweed in the Barren Wasteland.