# Zizotes Milkweed (Asclepias oenotheroides)

> A low, sprawling Texas and Southwest milkweed with wavy-edged leaves and greenish-cream flower clusters arising from the leaf axils. It blooms for most of the year and re-sprouts endlessly after mowing, which makes it one of the most reliable monarch hosts on the southern plains.

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

## Summary

A low, sprawling Texas and Southwest milkweed with wavy-edged leaves and greenish-cream flower clusters arising from the leaf axils. It blooms for most of the year and re-sprouts endlessly after mowing, which makes it one of the most reliable monarch hosts on the southern plains.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Asclepias oenotheroides Schltdl. & Cham. |
| Genus | Asclepias |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Common names | Zizotes Milkweed, Side-cluster Milkweed, Hierba de Zizotes |
| Status | Native |
| Height | 8 in–2 ft |
| Spread | 1 ft–2.5 ft |
| Flower color | green, cream |
| Bloom period | March to October |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil moisture | Dry, Average |
| USDA zones | 7-10 |
| Leaf arrangement | opposite |
| Leaf shape | oblong |
| Sap | Milky latex |
| Root system | Rhizomatous, spreads by root |
| Seed stratification | 30 days cold-moist |
| Monarch value (0-5) | 5 |
| Garden value (0-5) | 3 |
| Nectar value (0-5) | 3 |
| US states recorded | Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas |

## Identification

- Flower clusters emerge from the leaf axils along the stem, not just at the tip.
- Leaves with distinctly wavy or crinkled margins.
- Low sprawling growth, frequently in mown roadsides and lawns.
- Hoods are long and slender, projecting well past the corolla.

## Ecology

Its long season and tolerance of mowing make it disproportionately important to both the spring and fall monarch migrations through Texas, and it is a mainstay for queen butterflies.

## Growing

Tough, drought-proof and quietly spreading. Increasingly offered by Texas native nurseries.

## Cautions

Standard milkweed cautions.

## References

- Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:94504-1
- GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/3170282
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/158753
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_oenotheroides
- BONAP county map: https://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Asclepias%20oenotheroides.png
- NatureServe: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search?searchTerm=Asclepias%20oenotheroides

## Photographs

- Asclepias oenotheroides (Tyler Cannon, CC BY 4.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_oenotheroides.jpg
- Asclepias oenotheroides - Flickr - aspidoscelis (Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_oenotheroides_-_Flickr_-_aspidoscelis.jpg
- Asclepias oenotheroides - Flickr - aspidoscelis (1) (Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_oenotheroides_-_Flickr_-_aspidoscelis_(1).jpg
- Zizotes Milkweed photographed in 32.3717 -106.8718 (Public domain (CC0), CC0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9258486
- Zizotes Milkweed photographed in Texas, US (Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41213291
- Zizotes Milkweed photographed in Nuevo Laredo, MX-TM, MX (Oscar Israel Rodríguez Ortiz, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/325907228
- Zizotes Milkweed photographed in Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX, US (Sophia K, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34145372
- Zizotes Milkweed photographed in Junction, TX 76849, USA (Cleveland Powell, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/364434469

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Zizotes Milkweed (Asclepias oenotheroides). https://milkweedusa.com/species/zizotes-milkweed/