Balloon Plant

The Balloon Plant hails from southeastern Africa. Within its signature green seed pods are wispily white seeds, ready to be blown on the wind that are reminiscent of Milkweed seeds. Milkweed is the food source of the caterpillar form of endangered Monarch butterflies. Milkweed’s decline has led to a corresponding decline in Monarchs. It just so happened that Anne spied a butterfly chrysalis on the Balloon Plants that looks to me a lot like a Monarch’s. When I recently returned to the gardens the Balloon Plant’s bed had been plowed under, possibly to prevent this plant from becoming invasive species.