# Desert Milkweed (Asclepias erosa)

> A big, pale, upright milkweed of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, with chalky white stems, thick cream-edged leaves and heavy clusters of yellowish-white flowers that persist through the hottest months.

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

## Summary

A big, pale, upright milkweed of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, with chalky white stems, thick cream-edged leaves and heavy clusters of yellowish-white flowers that persist through the hottest months.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Asclepias erosa Torr. |
| Genus | Asclepias |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Common names | Desert Milkweed, Erose Milkweed |
| Status | Native |
| Height | 2 ft–5 ft |
| Spread | 1.5 ft–3 ft |
| Flower color | cream, yellow |
| Bloom period | April to September |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil moisture | Dry |
| USDA zones | 8-11 |
| Leaf arrangement | opposite |
| Leaf shape | ovate |
| Sap | Milky latex |
| Root system | Deep taproot, resents transplanting |
| Seed stratification | 30 days cold-moist |
| Monarch value (0-5) | 4 |
| Garden value (0-5) | 3 |
| Nectar value (0-5) | 3 |
| US states recorded | Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah |

## Identification

- Tall stiff stems that look bleached white or very pale green.
- Thick leaves with pale, often crisped or eroded-looking margins.
- Large clusters of cream-yellow flowers, blooming in true desert heat.

## Ecology

One of very few milkweeds available to monarchs and queens in the low desert during summer, often along washes and roadsides.

## Growing

Excellent in a Southwest desert garden: architectural, heat-proof and long-blooming. Needs full sun and fast drainage.

## Cautions

Standard milkweed cautions.

## Questions

**What milkweed grows in Arizona?**

Desert milkweed (A. erosa) and pineneedle milkweed (A. linaria) for the low desert, antelope horns and rush milkweed in the transition zones, and showy milkweed at higher elevations along streams.

## References

- Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:94260-1
- GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/3170333
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/57907
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_erosa
- BONAP county map: https://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Asclepias%20erosa.png
- NatureServe: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search?searchTerm=Asclepias%20erosa

## Photographs

- Asclepias erosa stem (Mike, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_erosa_stem.jpg
- Asclepias erosa 1 (Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_erosa_1.jpg
- Asclepias erosa 2 (Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_erosa_2.jpg
- Asclepias erosa 3 (Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_erosa_3.jpg
- Asclepias erosa 4 (Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_erosa_4.jpg
- Asclepias erosa 5 (Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_erosa_5.jpg
- Asclepias erosa 6 (Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_erosa_6.jpg
- Asclepias erosa 7 (Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_erosa_7.jpg

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Desert Milkweed (Asclepias erosa). https://milkweedusa.com/species/desert-milkweed/