Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Asclepias erosa is a species of milkweed known commonly as desert milkweed. It is native to southern California, Arizona, and northern Baja California, where it is most abundant in the desert regions. This milkweed is a perennial herb with erect yellow-green stems and foliage in shades of pale whitish-green to dark green with white veining. It may be hairless to very fuzzy. The sturdy, pointed leaves grow opposite on the stout stem. Atop the stem is a rounded umbel of yellowish or cream-colored flowers. Each flower has thick, reflexed corollas beneath a flower center composed of rounded, horned filaments. The plant is filled with a viscous sap that was roasted to a solid and enjoyed as a sort of chewing gum by local Native American groups.

Plant type

Perennial herb

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Color

Cream, Yellow

Flowering season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Low, Very Low

Site type

Dry slopes, washes

Plant communities

Creosote Bush Scrub, Joshua Tree Woodland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, Valley Grassland

Birds
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

2 confirmed and 2 likely

Confirmed Likely

Queen

Danaus gilippus

Monarch

Danaus plexippus

Clio Tiger Moth

Ectypia clio

Euchaetes zella