Two days ago, I took my first Climbing Milkweed photos near where I photographed a resting Viceroy butterfly at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
Climbing Milkweed at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/1600, ISO 800, -0.7 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light
I hadn’t noticed the blooming Climbing Milkweed last year at this time, but I didn’t spend much time at the refuge last September either.
Because I had read about it years ago, I knew about the climbing variety of milkweed. I simply didn’t realize that it grows at the refuge. The flowering umbels were about 15 to 20 feet above the ground, and I enjoyed seeing the heart-shaped leaves of the milkweed.
Blooming Climbing Milkweed in Oklahoma – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/2000, ISO 800, -0.7 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light
Climbing Milkweed isn’t just pretty; it is also food for the larvae of Monarch and Queen butterflies. Adult butterflies of other species also feed on the nectar of the flowers. So do bees and other insects!
Butterflies need all the help they can get now, especially Monarch butterflies. Seeds can be purchased for Climbing Milkweed, so if you have space and this twining plant is recommended for your area, it would be a helpful native plant to have in your garden.
A small butterfly garden can go a long way toward helping other things with wings!
I was delighted to have photographed my first Climbing Milkweeds at the refuge.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my wildflower, shrub and tree photos.
Oh so good to hear from you and to see your beautiful photos again!