You are right! Our native milkweed does have a pungent aroma. I like it too. Although I don't think I would like to wear a corsage of it. It is so strong it can become cloying.

The orange milkweed doesn't have much of a smell to it. The attraction there is wholly the color. Mine has been blooming for about 2 weeks now. I have one odd thing happening on the milkweed this year. Swamp milkweed is pink, and I have a small portion (six to eight individual flowerettes) on one branch of my orange milkweed that are pink. The leaf closest to the flowers also has a large streak of pink down one side. Has anyone ever had that happen to them? Carmellia

Carmellia, I'm no expert, but I've heard that such changes to just a part of a plant are referred to as somatic mutations and that if they breed true to the changed type, the offspring are referred to as sports. It would be interesting if you were to tie a brightly colored yarn around the pink branch (for later recognition) and then save the seeds from it to see if the pink coloration is passed on. These mutations reportedly sometimes carry through with tomatoes, which are self pollinated. In all likelihood, milkweeds require cross pollination (they have an elaborate mechanism for getting pollinated), so the pink might not carry through for that reason. Still, it would be interesting to see what happens. If you decide to save seeds and want others to try growing them, drop me a note.

Milkweed is the one "sacred" weed in my garden. It is allowed to grow almost anywhere it takes hold. This year we were surprised by a large patch of milkweed that volunteered in a corner of the yard that is basically unused and generally under siege by large thistles. It will be fun to see whether this patch is also covered by Monarch caterpillars in August. We will be watching!

P.S. I, too, would be willing to test plant some of your seeds if you decide to try bitterwort's suggestion.

I will do that. It will be interesting to see what happens. Even if nothing happens, the spreading of milkweed can't be bad. I will tie a pink ribbon around the stem with the pink buds and I will see that both of you get some seeds.

I am giving thistle a chance at the edge of my garden this year. I don't know if they spread from the root as well as from the seed, but I have pressed a bottomless plastic pail around it just in case. I'm doing this for the butterflies, so when the flower fades, I will cut it off before it goes to seed (sorry, birdies) so that my neighbors won't come storming into my garden with torches and pitchforks. Am I being naive in thinking I can control thistles? I hope not. Carmellia

I am still waiting for mine to start blooming.... I've been waiting ever since I first saw your post, Lynn!

Oh, the milkweed out in our pastures was in full bloom and fragrance last week. It is just as pleasureable as lilacs I think.

Carmellia...KILL that thistle now! Ugh, we have fought that dang thistle for years on our place and just the last two summer's we are starting to win the war. Yes, it spreads underground. It comes from out of nowhere and everywhere. The farmer who farms the ground around us does not spray the edges of his fields so I go out with a hand sprayer and spray all the thistle growing on our mutual fence line or we'd never stand a chance against it.

A number of thistles are on the noxious weed list of invasive, non-native plants in Minnesota:
"Four exotic thistle species are currently listed as prohibited noxious weeds in Minnesota. Musk (Carduus nutans), plumeless (Carduus acanthoides), Canada (Cirsium arvense), and bull (Cirsium vulgare) thistles are all native to European and Asian landscapes."
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/weedcontrol/exoticthistles.htm

Not only is it almost impossible to get on top of an invasion of thistles (I speak from first hand experience) but it is not environmentally responsible. Better to nurture the milkweed. Plant some monarda for the butterflies where that thistle was growing!

hgtvme: print off the mda webpage above for your neighbor. Perhaps reading the state order "prohibiting" thistles as noxious weeds might send a convincing message to do something about the contributions they are making to your community.

I decided to let one thistle grow because I like the blossoms, NEVER again. I can't get rid of them. Get rid of yours before it is too late.

Thistle has a mind of its own! I don't beleive there is anyone that can control it completely. One might think they've gotten it under control, and the next thing you know it's popping up right in the middle of a flower garden, veggie garden, lawn, etc. It will haunt you and your neighbors for a long time, so get rid of it before you have a thistle war on your hands!

Ohmigosh!!! I had two in two different spots last year, and I thought I lost one of them. Well...one is in bloom right now, and the other...is just now poking up through the soil!! I knew they were late to come up, but July??