Milkweeds Blooming

Meadows are beginning to bloom out, and milkweed, one of the workhorses of the meadow, are an example of that. This almost certainly changes the ecosystem:

  1. There's a sudden increase in the nectar/pollen available out there, attracting a bunch of different pollinators (bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, flower flies, etc). This in turn attracts predators of the pollinators like spiders, mantises, and birds.
  2. It's also a host plant for lots of insects, many of which I talked about here.
I wanted to talk about milkweeds partly because I'm supposed to talk about them as Duke Farms Outdoor Educator today so I watched some videos to refresh my memory about them:
  1. Nature at Your Door Frank Taylor
  2. Six Species of Milkweed ...
Here are 2 of our most commonly seen milkweeds, the Common Milkweed and the Butterfly Milkweed.
June 10, 2022 at Negri Nepote Native Grassland Preserve
Common Milkweed

June 10, 2022 at Negri Nepote Native Grassland Preserve
Butterfly Milkweed


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