Story behind the art of Betsy Rogers-Knox

26th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and Marin Art and Garden Center

Seedburst Finale

Asclepias syriaca

The common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is seen throughout New England with its colorful late spring and summer flowers followed by grayish pods in late autumn.

I am drawn to the milkweed plant for its unique botanical properties and because a compelling ecological element merits attention. Monarch butterfly larvae consume only milkweed leaves and monarch populations are declining as milkweeds are eliminated by herbicides, land development, and climate change.

This plant has always captivated me in all seasons, but the late autumn pods releasing their seeds is a special moment in the plant’s lifecycle. Each of the seedpod follicles attached to the milkweed plant possesses a seam along one side which pops open when the pod has sufficiently dried. The seeds are released and carried away on the autumn winds to reseed, some at nearby existing plant colonies, and others at distant new locations.

Wrinkled, grayish pods cling to dead brown stalks standing stubbornly above the snow in winter. Following a winter slumber, the newly established seedlings will provide a new generation of this singular plant.

Illustrating this plant in situ allowed me to show the ground leaf litter and the uniqueness and variety of pods on numerous stems. I chose a warm color palette incorporating the sienna and gray tones apparent in the pods, seeds, and leaf litter.

As a botanical illustrator calling attention to the plight of the milkweed plant and the colorful butterflies dependent upon it, I hope that contributing to added awareness just might assist in promoting the butterflies’ long term survival.

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Read more about this artist’s work: 25th Annual