Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

Tag: Milkweed

Milkweed Season, NM. 08-13-2025

Greetings from New Mexico! This week, I’m focusing on the Milkweed plant. The images below were taken as part of an exhibit on various seeds. I photographed the plant across three seasons: spring, summer, and fall. This year, the plant is prolific in the neighborhood.

Milkweed blooms
Milkweed Umbels.

The plant belongs to the genus Asclepias, a group of plants known for their unique properties and ecological importance, particularly for monarch butterflies.

Butterfly
Butterfly.

Plants are primarily perennial herbs, characterized by their milky latex-containing sap. They typically have complex flowers that are uniquely structured to facilitate pollination primarily by insects. The flowers are often clustered in umbels and can vary in color from pink and orange to green and white, depending on the species.

Monarch Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly.

Milkweed is famously known for its crucial role in the lifecycle of the monarch butterfly. Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed leaves, which contain toxic cardenolides. These compounds are sequestered by the caterpillars, providing them with a defense mechanism against predators even in their adult butterfly stage.

Seed Pod
Seed pod opens.
Seed Pod
Seed pod.

This particular pod birthed the whole seed group at once. I picked up the pod and it rolled out into my hand. I took it home. It stayed intact for me to photograph.

Seeds
Seeds.

The silky floss of the milkweed seeds is buoyant and has been used historically for filling life jackets, as well as in insulation and textile manufacturing.

Seed Pod
Seed pod opening.
Seed pod
Seed pod and floss.
Seeds catching the breeze
Seeds in the breeze.
Seed
Seed.

Given its importance to the monarch butterfly, many conservation efforts focus on preserving and expanding milkweed habitats. Gardeners and conservationists often encourage planting native species of milkweed to aid in these efforts.

This one resembles my hair first thing in the morning.

Opening pod
Seed pod.
Scattered seeds
Scattered seeds on rabbit brush. Close-up.

The seeds have left the floss.

Seeds
Scattered floss.
Studio shot
Studio shot.
Empty Pod
Empty pod.
Empty pods along the lake shore, Colorado
Empty pods along a lake shore.

Print of the week, Autumn Trio.

Autumn Trio
Autumn Trio.

As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G

Milkweed Pod, Seeds And Floss

Milkweed Pod, Seeds and Floss. This particular pod birthed the whole seed group at once. I picked up the pod and it rolled out into my hand. Thanks for looking. G

Milkweed Pod, Seeds and Floss.

Swallowtail Butterfly, Wild Rivers

Swallowtail Butterfly, in the Wild Rivers area of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. The image below is a composite of the same butterfly, on and off the Horsetail Milkweed. This plant, is essential to the Monarch Butterflies, but it also appears to be attractive to Swallowtails. There’s a lot of Horsetail Milkweed plant along the roadsides and verges all around Taos County. Fortunately, I think the road crews cut the invasive weeds and spared the milkweed plants when mowing this year. Thanks for looking. G

Swallowtail butterfly on the Horsetail milkweed in the Wild Rivers Area

More on the Swallowtail Butterfly

https://www.britannica.com/animal/swallowtail-butterfly

Still Life, Milkweed, Grasses, Mirror

Still Life, Milkweed, Grasses, Mirror. A little creative license with texture, brush strokes and layers of canvas and paper types. Made from a still life photograph of an arrangement on the bedroom dresser. Thanks for looking. G

Still Life, Milkweed, Grasses, Mirror

Milkweed Seed And Rabbit Brush

Milkweed Seed and Rabbit Brush. Carried on the morning breeze through the neighborhood, the hardy milkweed seed settles on the rabbit brush. Sooner or later the seed will be released from the floss. Thanks for looking. G

Milkweed seed

Showy Milkweed (Asclepias Speciosa)

Showy Milkweed (Asclepias Speciosa) thriving along unmown road shoulders, in disheveled corners of fields, abandoned gardens and where ever wildness reigns in Taos County, New Mexico. This plant is essential to the existence of the Monarch Butterfly. Sans the Milkweed, no Monarch butterflies. Interesting note: the floss of the plant is used by the Ogallala Comforter Company in manufacturing hypo-allergenic comforters and to help protect the Monarch Butterfly’s habitat. You can read more here. Thanks for looking. G

Showy Milkweed Asclepias speciosa in Taos County NM

Milkweed, Everywhere.

Milkweed, everywhere! At this time of year this humble plant exposes itself unabashedly to the countryside. The seeds, attached to the silky floss, are carried on the wind to the wild places where, this plant thrives. I like the fact that this plant cannot be tamed and readily cultivated, (Standard Oil tried); it is essential to to the existence of the Monarch Butterfly, and sans the Milkweed, no Monarch butterflies. Interesting note: the floss of the plant is used by the Ogallala Comforter Company in manufacturing hypo-allergenic comforters and to help protect the Monarch Butterfly’s habitat. You can read more here. Thanks for looking. G

pod_9164-6070887