California milkweed, Asclepias californica
States grown: CA
California milkweed grows in lower northern California, central and southern California as well as into northern Baja California. It is an important monarch butterfly caterpillar host plant. It is a perennial and has thick wooly stems that are low to the ground and bending upwards.
Permission kindly granted by author: Marshal Hedin
distribution within California
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View California milkweed observations on iNaturalist
View California milkweed plant information at Wildflower.org
View California milkweed plant information at Plants.USDA.gov
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First visit to a patch of California milkweed
Each May the disturbed soil in southern California comes to life. Woolly stems of Asclepias californica burst up and blossom. May 6th 2023 I convinced my friends at Caterpillar Chow to show me a secret location where the plants were happily growing. These are the photos.
