Doesn’t it bring good luck to take a handful of milkweed seeds and toss them high on autumn breezes? At least that’s what I believed growing up. Make a wish and scatter the fluff to the wind.
The common milkweed seeds (Asclepius syriaca) are bursting forth on the walks we take. And judging from clumps of seeds and spiny pods on the trail, children are still practicing this custom of scattering seeds the best they can.
One of the biggest winners in the scattering of these seeds is the monarch butterfly who depends on the plant to complete its life cycle. It’s a prolific native that is too robust for the flower garden but useful when grown in the right spot. The plant is plentiful as we walk along our regular sunny pathway but I always take a handful of seeds and make some wishes further along on the trail.
When these things are floating around, they sometimes seem more animal than plant.
I have seen them preparing to light, and suddenly change their mind and take off for a better spot; which actually happens as a breeze too minute to feel, almost, takes it away!
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That’s a lucky seed. The longer it’s in the air, the better your wish will come true!
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The opening pods have always been fascinating to me, and nice pics by the way.
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I feel the same way, Les. Seeing them brings out the kid in me.
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My pods opened a few months ago. I scattered my seeds around my yard and planted a bunch in a big pot. The ones in the pot are already growing nicely.
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You must have a milkweed variety that behaves better than common milkweed.
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I have a potted plant of milkweed for the monarch butterflies that migrate through my area.
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beautiful pictures!
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