COMMON MILKWEED BLOOMING

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COMMON MILKWEED FLOWER UMBELS...

...SIMPLE, TOOTHLESS, OPPOSITE LEAVES...

...MILKY SAP

Saturday, 8:15 AM.  68 degrees F at the ferry doc, the same on the back porch.  Wind NE with light gusts (wind off the lake will bring cooler temperatures).  Sky clear with some haze, humidity 84%.  The barometer has begun to fall precipitously, now at 29.95".  There is a chance of heavy rain and flash flooding from this afternoon into Sunday morning but things look good at present.  The big storm Thursday morning injured four campers at Birch Grove campground west of Washburn, and trapped others with fallen trees.  We have had enough bad weather for the summer.

   The common milkweed, Asclepias sriacus, in the Milkweed Family (Asclepiadacea) is a common roadside and field plant in the eastern half of North America and beyond.  It has simple, opposite leaves and milky sap.  It's umbels of sweetly fragrant flowers are old rose to whitish or greenish, and are just now blooming in Bayfield.

   The genus name is after that of the Greek god of medicine, because of the traditional medicinal uses of plants in the genus (too complicated and somewhat arcane to go into here).  The species name was applied erroneously by Linnaeus when it was confused with another plant.

   The most well known property of common milkweed today is that it is the obligate host of the Monarch butterfly caterpillar, and thus an object of great conservation interest.  For that reason alone it is a plant that should be protected and encouraged where possible  Other uses have been as cordage made from the stems, both commercially and by American Indians, and the fluffy seeds as filling for pillows and in former times, life preservers.  At certain stages and with proper preparation the leaves and stems are edible, but I wouldn't recommend doing so.

   There are a number of other native milkweeds, some, such as butterfly weed, A. tuberosa, that are important flower garden plants.  The swamp milkweed, A. incarnata, is common in wet places and quite attractive.

OFF THE CUFF

   The president yesterday told the American people that the world has never been safer or less violent, and that we should go out and enjoy the sunshine.  I wonder what parallel universe he lives in.