I hurried out to see the show. All summer long I had watched milkweed go through its unique but quirky routine. This was the last and best act. Next come rose-colored flowerlets that join forces, pretending to be one big flower to attract attention. The whole meadow is alive and hums with their doings.
People retain their same basic shape as adults, except for the addition or subtraction of poundage.
Not so with milkweed flowers. They are transformed into gondola-shaped seedpods. Quite a slippery trick. Each pod, when it pops open, releases about 50 flat brown seeds. Each seed is equipped with a neat little clump of white silky strands, like plumes, to catch the breeze and carry them far from home.