Asclepias vestita
Woolly milkweed, Woolly Milkweed
(c) Pinnacles National Park, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Pinnacles National Park · licence
Family: Apocynaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Asclepias vestita (Woolly milkweed) is a native California herb in the Apocynaceae family, recognized by distinctive dense-hairy with sessile inflorescences and largest seeds.
Woolly milkweed is a California native perennial found in the Great Valley, Central Western, Transverse Ranges, and Mojave Desert in dry plains, brushy flats, hillsides, and desert canyons at elevations of 50 to 1,350 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces cream to purple flowers with distinctive yellow-white hoods that occasionally feature a vertical brown stripe. Growing with ascending stems that are dense-hairy and becoming less hairy with age, it forms a compact plant reaching moderate heights. Its opposite leaves are elliptic, lanceolate, or ovate, typically with short petioles, creating a dense and textured appearance. The plant produces unusually large seeds, approximately 10 millimeters long, which are carried in erect fruits.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; distinctive dense-hairy with sessile inflorescences and largest seeds
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry plains, brushy flats, hillsides, desert canyons
Elevation: 50-1350 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Fresno, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Inyo, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Joaquin, Ventura, San Benito, Monterey, Kern, Contra Costa, Amador, Merced, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Tulare
Bloom period
Asclepias vestita 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 vestita native to California?
Yes. Asclepias vestita is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Asclepias vestita bloom?
Asclepias vestita blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Asclepias vestita grow?
Asclepias vestita occurs in San Bernardino, Fresno, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Inyo, Los Angeles, San Diego and other counties, at elevations of 50-1350 m.
What plant family does Asclepias vestita belong to?
Asclepias vestita is in the Apocynaceae family, genus Asclepias.
What habitat does Asclepias vestita grow in?
Asclepias vestita grows in dry plains, brushy flats, hillsides, desert canyons.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Asclepias albicans — White-stemmed milkweed
- Asclepias asperula subsp. asperula — Antelope-horns
- Asclepias californica — California milkweed
- Asclepias cordifolia — Purple milkweed
- Asclepias cryptoceras — Humboldt mountains milkweed
- Asclepias curassavica — Bloodflower milkweed
- Catharanthus roseus — Madagascar periwinkle
- Catharanthus sp.
- Cycladenia humilis — Cycladenia
- Cycladenia humilis var. humilis — Cycladenia
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.