Anyone know what this one is? The one I'm talking about is in the center with the big leaves and clumps of pink flowers. It is growing wild alongside a pretty dirty reservoir in zone 6a. It seems to be highly trafficked by ants and some sort of beetle. My camera ran dead before I could get a good shot of the beetles :( The flowers of the plant smell faintly pleasant.
Here's a crappy pic of the beetle:
the plant is a milkweed, i don't know what the bug is.
You have wild milkweed. It is fragrant when in bloom and attracts butterflies but self seeds incredibly prolifically. If you break off a leaf it will ooze a sticky white substance and that is where it gets the name. In the fall the seed pods burst and send thousands of seeds flying in every direction. They resemble dandelion seeds but are much larger. I would get rid of the seed pods before burst or they will overtake that spot. I would not uproot the plant though as it is one of those nectar producing plants used by many insects and even hummingbirds on occasion.
I just entered that bug from my milkweed.
http://davesgarden.com/bf/go/4043/
Yep I figured as much. Thanks!
