Attract Butterflies and Bees with Milkweed

Silky Gold Milkweed
Asclepias curassavica

When I told my dad I planted a milkweed to attract butterflies he was shocked. He's a Nebraska farm boy and he tells me in those parts milkweed is an issue for farmers. He told me to take it out or it will spread its seeds and they will be popping up all around. "That's why they call it a weed." Words of wisdom from my father.

Too late. It's planted. And it is so pretty. The pollinators are all over it. One monarch butterfly fluttered around when I was out there yesterday. And today in the 5 minutes I spent taking these picture, there were lots of winged visitors.

Wasp, arriving from the right, camouflaged against the leaf.

Ladybug

In those few minutes there were two ladybugs, two bees and one wasp. I guess they like milkweed.

I find the flowers fascinating.

They are fabulous yellow whirligigs suspended in clusters. 

From below they are fireworks.

Or garden fairies dancing in the breeze beckoning butterflies with buttercup skirts.