Funastrum cynanchoides var. hartwegii

Climbing milkweed

Family: Apocynaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Climbing milkweed is a California native perennial found in southern California coastal, Peninsular Ranges, and desert bioregions in dry, sandy, rocky arroyos and plains at elevations of 30 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces distinctive pink to purple flowers with white lobes marked by central purple streaks. Growing with green stems generally covered in sparse, appressed hairs, it climbs and spreads with slender, flexible stems. Its leaves are narrow-lanceolate, 30 to 60 millimeters long, with a distinctive hastate or heart-shaped base that helps distinguish this milkweed from other varieties. The fruit is a single elongated pod reaching 7.2 to 11.2 centimeters in length.

Habitat: Dry, sandy, rocky arroyos or plains

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 30-1600 m

Bioregions: SCo, PR, D

California counties: Riverside, Imperial, San Bernardino, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura

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