Common milkweed sightings are surging on nature apps right now
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
If you've got a patch of milkweed in your yard or spotted one on a trail, this is the week its seed pods crack open and send silky-tailed seeds drifting on the wind.
Common milkweed just became one of the most-spotted plants on iNaturalist this week, with 920 verified sightings logged by citizen scientists. This time of year the plant's big seed pods are drying out and splitting open, so people are noticing the puffs of silky white fluff carrying seeds away on the breeze. It's also prime time to check nearby leaves for monarch caterpillars, since this plant is the only thing they eat.
Key Findings
920 research-grade observations of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) were logged in one week
The species ranked among the top trending plants on iNaturalist for the period
Timing coincides with late-summer seed pod maturation and dispersal in most of its range
chevron_right Technical Summary
Common milkweed is having a big moment on iNaturalist right now, with 920 research-grade sightings logged in just one week. That surge means late-summer seed pods are splitting open and monarch caterpillars are likely still feeding nearby.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) — 920 observations this week
common milkweed is among the most observed plant species this week with 920 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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Asclepias syriaca, commonly called common milkweed, butterfly flower, silkweed, silky swallow-wort, and Virginia silkweed, is a species of flowering plant. It is native to southern Canada and much of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, excluding the drier parts of the prairies. It is i...