Milkweed and Insects

As the days pass from Spring to Summer, different varieties of wildflowers come into bloom. The milkweed is now starting to bloom and the insects are ready



Milkweed is another wildflower that requires a closer look. From a distance the milkweed flower looks like a ball but moving in closer you will see many small flowers.

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)


Most people are familiar with common Milkweed but the orange Butterfly Milkweed (Butterfly Weed) also blooms at the same time.

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Butterfly Weed, Pleurisy Root, Orange Milkweed


A closer look at both milkweed flowers shows they both have 5 reflexed corolla lobes.

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Butterfly Weed, Pleurisy Root, Orange Milkweed


Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Wildflowers and Bugs

Mary was running some errands today and it left me unsupervised long enough to wander some overgrown fields with my camera. While many of the flowers in our home gardens are "showy", we sometimes lose sight of the origins of many of our garden flowers and overlook the fine details of wildflowers.


Wild Rose


Eastern daisy fleabane (Erigeron annuus) Aster family


Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus)


Northern Dewberry (Rubus flagellaris) Common Name: Blackberry


Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) Pea family - Can you find the small ant?


Some garden flowers will go wild if left along. We've had Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) growing along the driveway to our barn but never planted it.


Another color of Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)


Not only do people find wildflowers attractive, many of the insects depend on them for food.