Asclepias fascicularis
Drought-tolerant native Western U.S. milkweed reaching 2–3 ft tall with narrow, slightly fuzzy leaves and pale pink umbrella-shaped summer blooms that attract bees, butterflies, and monarchs, and produce long seed pods.
Common Names
Narrowleaf Milkweed, Narrow-Leaved Milkweed, Narrow Leaf Milkweed, Milkweed, Mexican Whorled Milkweed, California Narrow Leaf Milkweed
Summary
Narrow-leaf milkweed is a glabrous perennial native to the western United States, with slender, whorled narrow leaves and umbels of small white to lavender-pink flowers. It grows about 1 to 3 ft tall, exudes white milky sap, and forms small colonies from wandering roots.
Prefers full sun and well-drained soils, with drought tolerance once established and minimal watering. Propagation is by seed or rhizome cuttings, and seed pods produce wind-dispersed seeds. Monarch butterflies rely on it as a host plant and it also attracts bees and other pollinators; ideal for butterfly gardens, native landscapes, and naturalized areas; deer resistant; contains cardiac glycosides, so caution around edible plants.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1-5 feet
Spread
2-3 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 6-10
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun, tolerates partial sun to part shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil.
Soil pH
6.0-7.0
Bloom Color
White, Lavender, Pink, Purple
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, other pollinators, birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Decne.
- Publication
- Prodr. 8: 509 (1844)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Gentianales
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Genus
- Asclepias
Synonyms
Asclepias macrophylla Asclepias macrophylla var. comosa Asclepias fasciculata