Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Asclepias asperula is a species of milkweed native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its common names include antelope horns, green-flowered milkweed, and spider antelope horns. It is a perennial plant growing to 0.6-2 meter (1-2 feet) tall, with clustered greenish-yellow flowers with maroon highlights. It blooms from April through June, and favors moist, sandy or rocky soil. Like several other species of milkweed, A. asperula is a food for monarch butterfly caterpillars. Along with being a source of nutrition for monarchs, the plants also contain alkaloids that the monarchs retain, making them unpalatable and poisonous to predators. For the same reason, A. asperula can be poisonous to livestock and other animals, including humans.

Plant type

Perennial herb

Size

2 - 7 ft Tall

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Color

Cream, Yellow, Green, Purple

Flowering season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Low, Very Low

Site type

Dry, open places, rocky places

Plant communities

Pinyon-Juniper Woodland

Birds
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

2 confirmed and 0 likely

Confirmed Likely

Queen

Danaus gilippus

Monarch

Danaus plexippus