Milkweed
The milkweed is an incredible plant. Everyone knows it's the staple for Monarch Butterflies. There are different species of milkweed. The western milkweed is smaller and has thinner leaves. The Michigan variety is a hearty plant, sometimes growing to over 5 feet tall. The blossoms are small and lovely. The fragrance is light and sweet. The plant serves as a boarding house for a wide variety of insects. There are several beetles that can be commonly found on milkweed. During one visit, I counted 6 different kinds of bees and wasps that were collecting nectar and pollen. Butterflies and moths also love the milkweed.
The milkweed produces a seed pod that is filled with hundreds of seeds with shiny, silky parachutes that catch the wind to carry the seed away.