Rush Milkweed
(Asclepias subulata)

Host Plant: Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus)

Nectar Plant: many insects including other butterflies, bees, and wasps.

Food Source: Birds and mammals

Flower Color: yellowish-white to creamy

Growth Habit: subshrub growing from 3 to 6 feet

Range in North America: southwestern United States

Exposure: Prefers full sun

Hardiness: Zones 9-11

Flowering Time: Year-round

Soil Requirements: Dry soil that is sandy or gravelly

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Categories: Apocynaceae | Dogbane Family, Asclepias | Milkweeds, Plants Tags: Apocynaceae, Monarch, Nectar Plants, Perennial

Rush Milkweed (Asclepias subulata)

Alternative Names

skeleton milkweed, desert milkweed, and desert reed-stem milkweed

Description of Rush Milkweed (Asclepias subulata)

Rush Milkweed (Asclepias subulata), a member of the Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family), is a subshrub that grows from 3′ to 6′ tall and blooms with yellowish-white to cream flowers year-round. The fruits, which are follicles, mature in the late summer and fall. More information can be found on this blog post about Rush Milkweed.

Hosted Species

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus)

Queen Butterfly on Twig. — Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus) — Korall, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nectar Species

This species is used by other insects and is food for birds and mammals.

Habitat

This species grows in washes and arroyos, benches of slopes, desert areas, sandy flats, and roadsides.

Range of Rush Milkweed (Asclepias subulata) in the United States and Canada

Range map of rush milkweed (Asclepias subulata) in the United States and Canada. — Range Map Credit: Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2023.(website https://bonap.org/). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2023. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press)]

Interesting Facts

The genus name, Asclepias, is named for the Greek god of healing. The species name, subulata, comes from Latin for “awl-shaped” referring to the leaves.

location	California
usda-plant-hardiness	Zone 10, Zone 9
exposure_requirements	Full Sun, Part Shade/Part Sun
plant_habit	Shrub, Tree
soil_requirements	Dry, Medium, Moist
hosted-species	Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini), Papilio eurymedon (Pale Swallowtail), Papilio rutulus (Western Tiger Swallowtail), Satyrium californica (California Hairstreak)

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(Asclepias subulata)”