Monday 6 October 2014

Today in Nature: Milkweed takes Flight


October 6th: Just as the strong winds of fall begin to blow, this milkweed plant is getting ready to hitch a ride. The pods have opened, revealing up to 100 brown seeds, each one connected to a silky parachute. The design is ingenious - some seeds will fly many acres away. The seeds are the plant's future, and key to the destiny of monarch butterflies, too. These are the only plants they will lay eggs on, so a good crop of milkweed is also good for insuring the survival of these beautiful butterflies.

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