Common milkweed has a very strong sweet scent, attracting a variety of visitors - butterflies, bees, beetles, flies and wasps.  On the underside of the leaves, one may find what looks like a small pearl, which is the egg of the monarch butterfly. When the eggs hatch, the young feed on the leaves of the plant.

The seed pods form in the fall and contain dark brown seeds with silken parachute structures.  You may find these feathers float by on an autumn day.