Great purple milkweed season

The purple milkweeds are almost in full bloom now. The weather has really cooperated.

This year I found another native location (where a stand has developed with no help from us). This makes the 13th location where purple milkweeds developed spontaneously, presumably as a result of our extensive savanna restoration work. In addition, many of the transplants that we set out in 2006 and 2007 are flowering well, and seem to be permanently established. It is encouraging to learn that this endangered species responds well to conservation efforts.

The top photo shows a stand that we discovered for the first time last year. This is adjacent to a stand of black oaks, some of which have died of oak wilt (to which they are especially sensitive). This site actually has two separate purple milkweed populations fairly close to each other, both of which have multiple flowering stems.

The photo below shows three umbels in various stages of development.