swamp milkweed seedpod with seeds exposed - bymlankford on iNaturalist

Swamp Milkweed

Swamp Milkweed is one of Kingston's more-than-human neighbours, growing along the edges of creeks, rivers, and wetlands. Their vanilla-scented flowers open in July. These kin cards are an invitation to get to know them: who they live in relation with, their gifts, and what they're asking of us.

Swamp Milkweed kin card

Swamp Milkweed is a primary host for Monarch Butterflies. Brown-belted Bumble Bee is their most effective pollinator, tolerating the toxic compounds in their nectar that deter other bees. Baltimore Oriole strips long fibres from their dried stems to weave into hanging nests. In late summer, Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars feed on their leaves, storing their toxic compounds as their own defence.

Swamp Milkweed at the planning table

What sustains Swamp Milkweed, what they give to this place, what threatens them, and what a workable Biodiversity Action Plan looks like from where they stand. This season, this decade, this century.

Get to know Swamp Milkweed. Return through the seasons. Record what you observe on iNaturalist.

Notice:In June, look for Monarch eggs on leaves. In July and August, look for caterpillars. Watch who visits the flowers: Brown-belted Bumble Bee, Great Black and Golden Digger Wasps, Snowberry Clearwing Moth, Monarch, Fritillary, and Checkerspot Butterflies. Look for Goldenrod Crab Spiders hiding in the flower clusters, ambushing bees and wasps. In spring, check last year's standing stems for sealed ends: stem-nesting bee larvae are inside.Act: Leave dead stems standing. Ruby-throated Hummingbird collects silk from their pods for nests and Baltimore Oriole strips fibre from their dried stems. Create a pocket wetland in a low area, a wet spot, or at the end of a downspout. In September, harvest pods just before they split and share seeds at Seedy Saturday. 

Kingston is drafting a Biodiversity Action Plan. Pin a place that matters to Swamp Milkweed.

Get involved: Little Forests Kingston is growing. We're looking for people who want to build relationships with the land and tend them over time. Forest Stewards, Neighbourhood Weavers, Community Scientists, Seed Keepers and more. You don't need to arrive knowing everything. Do any of these roles call to you?