Everwilde Farms - 1 oz Prairie Milkweed Native Wildflower Seeds - Gold Vault Bulk Seed Packet

These fragrant rose/mauve blossoms attract both hummingbirds and butterflies. This easy-to-grow variety is used in many prairie restoration projects. This native wildflower, though it has become rare in some areas, thrives in midwestern American prairies; it typically grows in moist areas, meadows, or thickets. This species name, "sullivantii," honors noted 19th century American botanist William Starling Sullivant. At one time, the silk from this plant's seed pods was spun for fabric or used for stuffing pillows; in World War II, school children gathered the silk to provide a cheap filling for soldiers' life jackets. Commercial attempts to make use of this abundant plant included the manufacture of paper, fabric, lubricant, fuel, and rubber; eventually these became impractical and were abandoned. Though this plant is toxic to most animals, butterflies are immune to the plant's poison and actually become rather poisonous themselves as protection from predators.