Asclepias syriaca (a single flower)

Once thought of a weed by the wayside, the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is now recognized as a vital link in our increasingly fragile ecosystem. Entire species depend on this humble yet beautiful plant. Its decline due to current wide-scale herbicides threatens not only its population, but also renders monarch butterflies endangered.
Inside the vessel, a string of pearls symbolize the milky sap of the plant and are a metaphor for growth and evolution of purpose. This piece is a reminder of the intrinsic value inherent in every living thing because of the subtly woven interdependence found throughout nature.
Like plants, we all hold an uncanny spark, a seed, which is a catalyst waiting to take root and flourish. Given the opportunity, it contains the power to be carried by a breeze, to land, and grow upward- and it is connected to everything.