Antelopehorn Milkweed
Asclepias asperula
Also listed as Acerates asperula, Asclepiodora asperula
Also known as Antelopehorns, Antelope Horns Milkweed, Spider Milkweed
Climate Match for your location
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Antelopehorn Milkweed is a native wildflower with distinctive waxy, star-shaped pink or purple flowers that attract butterflies and other pollinators. It thrives in hot, dry conditions with minimal water once established, making it ideal for xeriscape gardens.
Why grow it
Asclepias asperula occupies a narrower drought tolerance niche than some milkweed relatives, making it well-suited to semi-arid and arid regions where water availability is genuinely limited rather than merely preferred. Among native milkweeds, it establishes more readily in sandy or gravelly soils common to its native range, whereas some congeners prefer heavier soils. Its modest height (12-24 inches typically) and extended bloom period support monarch caterpillars and native pollinators in landscapes where space or visual coherence with surrounding flora calls for a more compact milkweed.
Watch out for
Plants may take two seasons to reach full flowering vigor after transplant, so patience is warranted before concluding establishment has failed. In regions with high summer humidity or afternoon irrigation, powdery mildew can develop on foliage, though this rarely kills the plant outright. Self-seeding can occur in favorable conditions, so deadheading spent flower clusters will help manage volunteer seedlings if desired.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Apocynaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Southwest United States (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona)
Native to: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Antelopehorn Milkweed is a native wildflower with distinctive waxy, star-shaped pink or purple flowers that attract butterflies and other pollinators. It thrives in hot, dry conditions with minimal water once established, making it ideal for xeriscape gardens.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Antelopehorn Milkweed grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Asclepias asperula occupies a narrower drought tolerance niche than some milkweed relatives, making it well-suited to semi-arid and arid regions where water availability is genuinely limited rather than merely preferred. Among native milkweeds, it establishes more readily in sandy or gravelly soils common to its native range, whereas some congeners prefer heavier soils. Its modest height (12-24 inches typically) and extended bloom period support monarch caterpillars and native pollinators in landscapes where space or visual coherence with surrounding flora calls for a more compact milkweed.
Watch out for
Plants may take two seasons to reach full flowering vigor after transplant, so patience is warranted before concluding establishment has failed. In regions with high summer humidity or afternoon irrigation, powdery mildew can develop on foliage, though this rarely kills the plant outright. Self-seeding can occur in favorable conditions, so deadheading spent flower clusters will help manage volunteer seedlings if desired.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Apocynaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Southwest United States (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona)
Native to: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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