Asclepias subulata      
Desert Milkweed    
Asclepidaceae Family     

flower (and friend) on Asclepias subulata

Form: twiggy shrub, usually leafless
Seasonality: stems evergreen; in leaf only briefly
Size: to 4ft, spread to 4ft from cluster at base
Leaves: rarely present; thin, to 1.4in long
Flowers: yellow, tubular; spring to late fall
Fruit: flat black seeds in pod
Stems/Trunks: green or gray-green twiggy stems; thick milky sap
Range/Origin: Sonoran deserts; Baja California
Hardiness: to 25°F

 

Asclepias subulata in typical leafless form

LANDSCAPE VALUE:

• attracts butterflies
• accent
• revegetation

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: full sun, reflected heat
• Water: drought tolerant, natural rainfall; some supplemental will improve appearance
• Soil: any, tolerant
• Propagation: seed
• Maintenance: minimal; cut back overgrown clumps to base to induce vigorous fresh growth

NOTES:

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This page was first created February 7, 2004 and last modified December 19, 2004.

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Web page design and photographs by Toni Moore, Master Gardener
email to: tmoore1@flash.net

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