you say tomāto, i say tomäto

Seeing milkweed in full bloom makes me happy. As all of us nature lovers know by now…milkweed is a critical food source for monarch butterflies. And one of the reasons monarch butterflies are being threatened, is the loss of habitat for milkweed. It is among the single most important food sources for monarch butterfly caterpillars (Danaus plexippus) in the northeastern and midwestern United States. Wiki informs me that another name for milkweed is silkweed. Both names make complete sense: “milk” comes from the sticky white latex substance the stem bleed when cut, and “silk” comes from silken threads of the seeds that fill the seedpods and are released as fluff every autumn. Milkweed. Silkweed. Tomāto. Tomäto.

common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)