365 Urban Species. #173: Common Milkweed

[urbpan]

Photo by cottonmanifesto. Location: Brookline Ave, in front of Beth Israel parking garage, Boston.
Urban species #173: Common milkweed Ascelpias syriaca

This familiar weed of fields and roadsides may turn up in any sunny, unmowed patch of soil in the city. It prefers dry soil and some space for its rhizomes to spread. This time of year its globular clusters of pink, star shaped flowers appear, attracting bees and butterflies. It is famously the host plant for the monarch butterfly, whose larva is one of many insects that feed on the toxic foliage. These insects incorporate the milkweed poison into their own tissues, and advertise the fact with bold yellow, orange, or red colors.

Despite the fact that milkweed is well known to be poisonous, indigenous people and wild food enthusiasts have historically eaten it--either young shoots or after boiling. Like most toxic weeds, milkweed has a history of medicinal use as well, for everything from asthma to warts. It was even reportedly used by Native Americans as part of an "antifertility concoction."

In the fall milkweed produces large pods filled with seeds borne on silky fluff parachutes. This material was used to fill lifejackets during World War II. I remember pulling the fluff out of the pods as a child, tossing seeds up into the breeze and watching them drift off to the sky.

Comments

[by-steph.livejournal.com]

The milkweed all over Iowa is a vine variety. I thought it was strange to see free-standing milkweed in New Jersey. Yep, that's my only contribution. I'm just thrilled to be the first response to a thread.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Is this the milkweed vine you see in Iowa?

When no one had commented (until you) I wondered what was up. At least that means that I didn't include any glaring errors in my post.

[by-steph.livejournal.com]

Nope, I believe it is this: http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/wildthing/honeyvinemilkweed.htm

I used to open all the seed pods as a kid. Nearly had a heart attack to think it was an invasive species!

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

back when i was a little one, yar, ages ago now, there wasn't a milkweed anywhere in the area that didn't have monarch larva thriving and clouds of butterflutters all over. now? not so much. as in none. haven't seen any in over 5-10 years now, and i *look* for them when i'm out.

it's a good year for the plants though, spreading their crazy rhizomes fast.

#

[six-crazy-guys.livejournal.com]

IIRC, although milkweed is toxic to most insects, you'd have to eat a whole lot of it to actual feel any effects (and the sap's horrible taste would make you stop before). The seedlings and immature pods are actually edible and, in fact, quite sweet in the case of the seed.

Did you know during WWII, they investigated using the plant for rubber production? I seem to remember new artificial rubbers put an end to this research.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I'm having trouble reconciling these two statements:

"The seedlings and immature pods are actually edible"
and
"the sap's horrible taste would make you stop"

[six-crazy-guys.livejournal.com]

Basically, the sap gets bitter as the plant age, and the toxins are not really concentrated (unlike in, say, Datura). You'd have to eat a whole lot of raw stuff to get any effect at all, and the taste would make you stop way before then. It's far from the only plant being eaten as a seedling/very young plant, too (cf. soy, Brussels and alfalfa sprouts), and other parts of commonly consumed plant are well-known to be toxic (cf. potato leaves).

The milky sap is not present in the seeds. I'm not clear whether the seedpods themselves (as opposed to their content) are supposed to be eaten, though. According to my guides, the parts recommended for consumptions (seedlings, young leaves and seedpods) should be boiled in two waters to take away the bitterness.