Plant Name

Scientific Name: Asclepias nyctaginifolia

Common Name: Mojave Milkweed

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert, Upland

Flower Color: Pale green and greenish white

Flowering Season: Spring (late), Summer

Height: To 1 foot (30 cm) tall

Description: The flowers are in rounded, terminal clusters. Each flower has 5 reflexed petals and 5 upright hoods. The flower hoods are slightly shorter than the petals and have only slightly protruding horns. The leaves are large, dark green, wavy-edged, petioled, opposite, and ovate to lanceolate in shape.

Special Characteristics

Butterfly Plant – Mojave Milkweed is one of the food plants for Queen (Danaus gilippus) butterfly caterpillars.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Asclepiadaceae – Milkweed family
Genus: Asclepias L. – milkweed
Species: Asclepias nyctaginifolia A. Gray – Mojave milkweed

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map
Mojave Milkweed (Asclepias nyctaginifolia) – The Firefly Forest