Monomad Challenge - Gone To Seed

This is my entry for the #monomad challenge by @monochromes! You can read more about the contest and how to enter HERE!

My first photo is my entry and I took it at Cromwell Valley Park in Baltimore County, Maryland. It is a photo of a milkweed plant that has gone to seed. This particular day was cloudy and a light rain was falling but the rain stopped just as we arrived. I also decided to post a few other photos of the "spent" milkweed plants that I took that day below my entry.

This part of Cromwell Valley Park is located at approximately 2175 Cromwell Bridge Road in Parkville, Maryland 21234. Parkville is community in Baltimore County.

Cromwell Valley Park planted an enormous crop of milkweed plants a few years ago. They always had some but they planted more to help the Monarch butterflies flourish as Monarch caterpillars will only feed on milkweed leaves. I just recently read that they may also feed on raw butternut squash in an emergency along with a couple of other raw vegetables but milkweed is what they prefer. It is good to know though that there are a few other alternatives available for when you have more caterpillars than you do milkweed leaves.
*Info Source

The photos in this last collage are photos that I took this past Summer and Fall in my own garden! It was the very first time that I had Monarch caterpillars in my garden. I only had a few milkweed plants and they seemed to prefer the younger plants over the older and taller plants. I was getting a bit worried though because they are voracious little eaters and I didn't think that I would have enough leaves to satisfy them and help them reach the point of the chrysalis stage in their life but it, apparently, was just enough. I did find one or two that didn't make it. I could see that they tried and attached themselves to the siding on the house but it was getting to be late Fall. They appeared to be normal size so I think it was the cold that got them and not lack of food. Once they emerge from their chrysalis they rest a few hours and let their wings fully expand before starting their long flight to Mexico. It really was a wonderful thing to be able to witness and photograph. I got to see one of the Monarch butterflies fly up to the top of my driveway and "hang" a left. I never knew that was the way to Mexico but I trust their directions way more than I would trust my own! 💖

Thank you @brumest, @ewkaw and @monochromes for #monomad!!
All photos and text by me @deerjay. All rights reserved.
*Unless otherwise noted. 😉