# Rush Milkweed (Asclepias subulata)

> A leafless-looking fountain of blue-green pencil-thick stems topped with cream flowers, growing in the hottest, driest washes of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. It looks like a sculpture and needs no water at all.

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

## Summary

A leafless-looking fountain of blue-green pencil-thick stems topped with cream flowers, growing in the hottest, driest washes of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. It looks like a sculpture and needs no water at all.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Asclepias subulata Decne. |
| Genus | Asclepias |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Common names | Rush Milkweed, Desert Milkweed, Ajamete |
| Status | Native |
| Height | 2 ft–6 ft |
| Spread | 2 ft–4 ft |
| Flower color | cream, white |
| Bloom period | nearly year-round in frost-free areas |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil moisture | Dry |
| USDA zones | 8-11 |
| Leaf arrangement | opposite |
| Leaf shape | threadlike |
| Sap | Milky latex |
| Root system | Deep taproot, resents transplanting |
| Seed stratification | 30 days cold-moist |
| Monarch value (0-5) | 4 |
| Garden value (0-5) | 4 |
| Nectar value (0-5) | 3 |
| US states recorded | Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah |

## Identification

- Effectively leafless, because the narrow leaves drop early and leave bundles of erect stems.
- Stems pale blue-green, rush-like, growing in a dense vase-shaped clump.
- Cream to white flowers in small clusters near the stem tips, almost year-round.

## Ecology

A critical desert host and nectar source that remains available when everything else has dried up, supporting monarchs, queens and desert pollinators through the long dry season.

## Growing

A superb xeriscape plant for Phoenix, Tucson, Palm Springs and Las Vegas gardens. Full sun, no supplemental water once established, no frost below about 20°F.

## Cautions

Standard milkweed cautions.

## References

- Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:94672-1
- GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/3170301
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/62291
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_subulata
- BONAP county map: https://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Asclepias%20subulata.png
- NatureServe: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search?searchTerm=Asclepias%20subulata

## Photographs

- Asclepias subulata flowers (Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_subulata_flowers.jpg
- Asclepias subulata flowers 2 (Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_subulata_flowers_2.jpg
- Asclepias subulata (Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_subulata.jpg
- Rush Milkweed photographed in Arroyo Nacapule, Guaymas Municipality, Sonora, Mexico (Sue Carnahan, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/192961841
- Rush Milkweed photographed in San Bernardino County, CA, USA (Public domain (CC0), CC0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/195190895
- Rush Milkweed photographed in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico (Bill Levine, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/18600029
- Rush Milkweed photographed in Clark County, NV, USA (Dominic Gentilcore, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50518000
- Rush Milkweed photographed in La Paz, B.C.S., México (Daniela Gámez, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34852553

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Rush Milkweed (Asclepias subulata). https://milkweedusa.com/species/rush-milkweed/