It is common knowledge that Milkweed is helpful to the survival of the monarch butterfly populations. Common Milkweed flowers also produce an interesting fiber that is attached to the seeds in the milkweed. This fiber has a hollow interior and a waxy coating, which makes it ideal for wind-born dispersal of the seeds. Each seed has its own fluffy parachute to carry it away on the breeze. A Quebec company is manufacturing oil-spill clean-up kits that utilize these absorbent milkweed fibers. The company claims that each kit can absorb 53 gallons of oil which is twice as fast as the conventional oil clean-up products can absorb.
Growing Home: Milkweed
