The rose
flowers of Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata plants are blooming in several places along the shore around the pond. Actually, the flowers can vary in color from soft mauve to dusty pink to soft crimson violet. This milkweed attracts a profusion of butterflies and other pollinators who lap up its nectar. The Monarch butterfly
Danaus plexippus uses the milkweed as its host plant. A host plant is where the butterfly will lays its eggs exclusively, because the larvae that hatch will have a ready supply of the only plant they will eat. This Swamp Milkweed had two different size caterpillars feasting on leaves. (In these photos, golden aphids share the sweetness of the plant.)
