Milkweed pod

Milkweed fluff was used by the military during World War II. The buoyant milkweed fluff was needed to fill life jackets and for use to line the jackets and outerwear of the U.S. Air Force. Schoolchildren would gather the milkweed pods and the pods from all over were sent to be processed at a central location for the Armed Forces. The natural buoyancy of the silken milkweed fibers made ideal filler material for these life vests. Lightweight and very buoyant, just several pounds of milkweed fibers provide enough buoyancy to keep a man afloat.