# Broadleaf Milkweed (Asclepias latifolia)

> Thick, almost circular leaves stacked up a stout stem like a pile of green plates, with flower clusters tucked into the leaf axils. A tough, deeply rooted southern plains species that thrives where summer means 100°F and no rain.

Source: https://milkweedusa.com/species/broadleaf-milkweed/  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Milkweed USA)

## Summary

Thick, almost circular leaves stacked up a stout stem like a pile of green plates, with flower clusters tucked into the leaf axils. A tough, deeply rooted southern plains species that thrives where summer means 100°F and no rain.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Asclepias latifolia (Torr.) Raf. |
| Genus | Asclepias |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Common names | Broadleaf Milkweed, Corn-kernel Milkweed, Broadleaf Milkvine |
| Status | Native |
| Height | 1 ft–3 ft |
| Spread | 1.5 ft–4 ft |
| Flower color | green, cream |
| Bloom period | May to August |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil moisture | Dry |
| USDA zones | 5-9 |
| Leaf arrangement | opposite |
| Leaf shape | orbicular |
| Sap | Milky latex |
| Root system | Rhizomatous, spreads by root |
| Seed stratification | 30 days cold-moist |
| Monarch value (0-5) | 4 |
| Garden value (0-5) | 2 |
| Nectar value (0-5) | 3 |
| US states recorded | Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Wyoming |

## Identification

- Leaves are very broad, blunt-tipped and often wider than they are long, clasping the stem closely.
- Flower clusters sit in the leaf axils rather than crowning the plant.
- Stems are stout and unbranched, giving a stiff, architectural look.

## Ecology

Its big leaves make it a productive monarch host on the southern plains, where it is one of the few milkweeds with real leaf area. Grazing animals avoid it, so it persists on heavily used rangeland.

## Growing

Extremely drought-tolerant and long-lived, but rhizomatous and considered a rangeland weed by ranchers. Rarely offered in the nursery trade.

## Cautions

Toxic to livestock, and unpalatable enough that it increases on overgrazed land.

## References

- Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:94386-1
- GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/3170304
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/62296
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_latifolia
- BONAP county map: https://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Asclepias%20latifolia.png
- NatureServe: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search?searchTerm=Asclepias%20latifolia

## Photographs

- Asclepias latifolia flower (Jackvanschaik, CC0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_latifolia_flower.jpg
- Asclepias latifolia plant (Jackvanschaik, CC0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_latifolia_plant.jpg
- Asclepias latifolia (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_latifolia.jpg
- Asclepias latifolia - 49961588466 (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_latifolia_-_49961588466.jpg
- Asclepias latifolia - 49961591761 (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_latifolia_-_49961591761.jpg
- Broadleaf Milkweed photographed in Presidio County, US-TX, US (Alison Northup, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/36309572
- Broadleaf Milkweed photographed in Lincoln, Colorado, United States (Matt Berger, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/59850649
- Broadleaf Milkweed photographed in Lubbock Lake Landmark, Lubbock, TX, USA (Catherine C. Galley, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124206763

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Broadleaf Milkweed (Asclepias latifolia). https://milkweedusa.com/species/broadleaf-milkweed/