Asclepias californica
California milkweed
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Apocynaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Asclepias californica (California milkweed) is a native California herb in the Apocynaceae family, recognized by dense-hairy with distinctive ovate leaves and decumbent habit.
California milkweed is a California native perennial found in central California Mountains, coastal areas, southern California, and desert regions in flats and grassy or brushy hillsides at elevations of 200 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces deep purple flowers with distinctive dark purple hoods that rise above the corolla base. Growing with dense-hairy stems that are decumbent to slightly ascending and reaching 30 to 60 centimeters tall, it forms a robust herbaceous perennial. Its opposite leaves are short-petioled with broad ovate blades, typically 5 to 10 centimeters long and densely covered in soft hairs. The mature plant produces erect fruits with seeds approximately one centimeter long, which develop on slightly reflexed pedicels.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; dense-hairy with distinctive ovate leaves and decumbent habit
Habitat and range
Habitat: Flats, grassy or brushy hillsides
Elevation: 200-2100 m
California counties: Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Kern, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Tulare, Ventura, Monterey, Orange, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Merced, Santa Barbara, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Madera, San Benito, Mariposa, Alameda, Inyo, Alpine
Outside California: northern Baja California
Bloom period
Asclepias californica blooms Apr-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Gomphocarpus: Asclepias has hoods that touch or nearly touch at their edges; Gomphocarpus has gaps between hood edges.; vs Erigeron: Asclepias has rounded umbel clusters with large individual flowers; Erigeron has daisy-like flowers with many thin ray petals.; vs Lantana: Asclepias has reflexed petals with a raised hood crown; Lantana has flat-faced tubular flowers in dense rounded heads.; vs Apocynum: Asclepias has large showy flowers in dome-shaped clusters; Apocynum has tiny bell-shaped flowers in branched sprays.; vs Baccharis: Asclepias has milky sap and large distinctive flowers; Baccharis has clear sap and tiny fuzzy composite flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Asclepias californica native to California?
Yes. Asclepias californica is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Asclepias californica bloom?
Asclepias californica blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Asclepias californica grow?
Asclepias californica occurs in Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Kern, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Tulare, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of 200-2100 m.
What plant family does Asclepias californica belong to?
Asclepias californica is in the Apocynaceae family, genus Asclepias.
What habitat does Asclepias californica grow in?
Asclepias californica grows in Flats, grassy or brushy hillsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.