-
MarcP2
- Senior Member
- Posts: 145
- Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:30 pm
- Location: S.E. Michigan near Ohio border
MILKWEED QUESTION
I am seeing several varieties of milkweed with beautiful pink or pinkish flowers but, as of yet, no seed pods. I am also seeing what seems to be common milkweed with the typical spiny seed pods but not one sign of a flower or of having had a flower. How can they have pods without flowering first?
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30550
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Milkweed species bloom at different times.
In my garden, first to bloom are Whorled Milkweed, then Purple Milkweed.
Common milkweed would have been in bloom after that but earlier than now. In my garden all of the common milkweed have been finished blooming for some weeks and are developing the spiky seed pods.
... and if the pinkish bloom milkweed have narrow willow like leaves, they are swamp milkweed and would be blooming now. I would say my swamp milkweeds are past their prime blooming period and are starting to close up. They are also COVERED with the yellow milkweed aphids, making them look tattered.
Butterfly flower A. Tuberosa are still blooming though they are also developing their seed pods. They are most likely to repeat bloom if deadheaded.
Honeyvine/sand vine milkweed are the last to bloom here -- though they have started -- and they will continue into the fall. This also means the honeyvine milkweed leaves remain fresh long after the common milkweed leaves have yellowed and the swamp milkweed have been overcome. In fact they stay green until frost. Sometimes they are the last available milkweed to feed the Fall oviposited last Monarch caterpillars and so they can finish growing and possibly turn into butterflies to fly south.
In my garden, first to bloom are Whorled Milkweed, then Purple Milkweed.
Common milkweed would have been in bloom after that but earlier than now. In my garden all of the common milkweed have been finished blooming for some weeks and are developing the spiky seed pods.
... and if the pinkish bloom milkweed have narrow willow like leaves, they are swamp milkweed and would be blooming now. I would say my swamp milkweeds are past their prime blooming period and are starting to close up. They are also COVERED with the yellow milkweed aphids, making them look tattered.
Butterfly flower A. Tuberosa are still blooming though they are also developing their seed pods. They are most likely to repeat bloom if deadheaded.
Honeyvine/sand vine milkweed are the last to bloom here -- though they have started -- and they will continue into the fall. This also means the honeyvine milkweed leaves remain fresh long after the common milkweed leaves have yellowed and the swamp milkweed have been overcome. In fact they stay green until frost. Sometimes they are the last available milkweed to feed the Fall oviposited last Monarch caterpillars and so they can finish growing and possibly turn into butterflies to fly south.
