# Curtiss’ Milkweed (Asclepias curtissii)

> A Florida scrub endemic listed as endangered by the state, with wavy-edged pale leaves and greenish-white flowers, restricted to the ancient sand ridges of the peninsula.

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

## Summary

A Florida scrub endemic listed as endangered by the state, with wavy-edged pale leaves and greenish-white flowers, restricted to the ancient sand ridges of the peninsula.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Asclepias curtissii A. Gray |
| Genus | Asclepias |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Common names | Curtiss’ Milkweed, Curtiss’ Sandhill Milkweed |
| Status | Native; rare or legally protected in part of its range |
| Height | 1 ft–3 ft |
| Spread | 10 in–1.7 ft |
| Flower color | white, green |
| Bloom period | April to September |
| Light | Full sun, Part shade |
| Soil moisture | Dry |
| USDA zones | 8-10 |
| Leaf arrangement | opposite |
| Leaf shape | ovate |
| Sap | Milky latex |
| Root system | Deep taproot, resents transplanting |
| Seed stratification | None required |
| Monarch value (0-5) | 3 |
| Garden value (0-5) | 2 |
| Nectar value (0-5) | 2 |
| US states recorded | Florida |

## Identification

- Wavy-margined, pale gray-green leaves in widely spaced pairs.
- Greenish-white flowers in open terminal clusters.
- Only in Florida scrub and sandhill on relict dune ridges.

## Ecology

Confined to Florida scrub, one of the most threatened habitats in North America, most of which has been converted to citrus and housing.

## Growing

State-listed as endangered in Florida. Do not collect from the wild; buy only nursery-propagated stock.

## Cautions

Endangered in Florida; collection from the wild is prohibited.

## References

- Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:94214-1
- GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/3170342
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/146969
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_curtissii
- BONAP county map: https://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Asclepias%20curtissii.png
- NatureServe: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search?searchTerm=Asclepias%20curtissii

## Photographs

- Curtiss milkweed (Asclepias curtissii) (6023865184) (Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Curtiss_milkweed_(Asclepias_curtissii)_(6023865184).jpg
- Asclepias curtissii (Curtiss milkweed ) (5771618293) (Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_curtissii_(Curtiss_milkweed_)_(5771618293).jpg
- Asclepias curtissii (6162805747) (scott.zona from Miami, Florida, USA, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_curtissii_(6162805747).jpg
- Curtiss’ Milkweed photographed in United States (Scott Allen Davis, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21429606
- Curtiss’ Milkweed photographed in Florida, US (Jay Horn, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/25915381
- Curtiss’ Milkweed photographed in Florida, US (Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/32718743
- Curtiss’ Milkweed photographed in Florida, US (Public domain (CC0), CC0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/3871734
- Curtiss’ Milkweed photographed in Florida, US (Scott Ward, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/57734329

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Curtiss’ Milkweed (Asclepias curtissii). https://milkweedusa.com/species/curtiss-milkweed/