Asclepias fruticosa

African milkweed

Family: Apocynaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

African milkweed is a naturalized perennial found in Contra Costa County in disturbed sites at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from December to July, this plant produces white flowers with subtle pink to purple tints, arranged in small clusters at the upper stem nodes. Growing with nearly erect stems that are slightly hairy, it reaches a moderate height with linear to narrow lance-shaped leaves positioned opposite each other. Its leaves have short or absent petioles, with blade shapes that are narrow and pointed, creating a delicate structural appearance. The fruit develops as an erect pod with small prickles 5 to 10 millimeters long, characteristic of milkweed species.

Habitat: Disturbed sites

Bloom period: Dec-Jul

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: CCo (Contra Costa Co.)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.