My local library has planted #nativeplants around their building. There have about 2 dozen #commonmilkweed plants near the back door, which are hosting these #redmilkweedbeetles (here #makingmorebeetles). #nature #photography #insects #spring

Fun fact! If you grow common milkweed and let it get big enough, you can use it as a living trellis for pumpkins and melons. Including massive giant pink banana squash.

How do I know this, you ask? Because in Pennsylvania we had a milkweed colony in the yard, and planted pumpkins, and the pumpkins looked at the milkweed and went, "It's free real estate!"

I kid you not a GPB squah longer than my whole arm that weighed a ton was supported entirely by the milkweed stems for its whole season. We didn't know that was possible!

I'll have to see if I still have pictures ehehe...oh and beans will also happily climb it! And the milkweed didn't have a care in the world, either!

Too bad we now live too far south for its native range :(

#gardening #squash #vines #commonmilkweed #asclepiassyriaca

Hi there, Johnny Appleseed of #AsclepiasSyriaca #CommonMilkweed, helping out #DanausPlexippus the #MonarchButterfly here, anyone else?