Table of Contents for Cutler’s Milkweed (Asclepias cutleri)
Cutler’s Milkweed (Asclepias cutleri) is a herbaceous perennial that is native and rare in the southwestern United States. This plant is a host to the Queen (Danaus gilippus) and Monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterflies. Growing from 2 to 6 inches tall, this species grows in sand dunes and gravelly areas and has greenish-rose flowers that bloom from April to June. It is hardy in zones 5-7.
Taxonomy and Naming of Cutler’s Milkweed (Asclepias cutleri)
Taxonomy
Cutler’s Milkweed (Asclepias cutleri) was originally named and described by Robert Woodson, an American botanist, in 1939. This species has kept the same name since the description and is a member of the Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae).
Meaning of the Scientific and Common Names
Scientific Name
The genus name, Asclepias, is named for the Greek god of healing, Asklepios (Flora of Wisconsin). The species name, cutleri, is in honor of Hugh Cutler, who collected the plant (SW Colorado Wildflowers).
Common Name and Alternative Names
The common name comes from the last name of Hugh Cutler, who collected the plant.
Physical Description
- Plant Type: This plant is a herbaceous perennial
- Height: 2 to 6 inches tall
- Stem: The stem is simple and branches at the rootstalk and is pubescent.
- Leaves: The leaves are irregularly alternate, simple, entire, sessile, and filiform in shape (Woodson 1954). The leaves are 1 to 3 inches long and about 0.05 to 0.1 inches wide. The leaves are covered in fine pubescence.
- Flower color: greenish-rose (Woodson 1954), lavender (Welsh and Thorne 1979), or pinkish to off-white (swbiodiversity.org).
- Blooming period: This plant blooms from April to June.
- Fruiting type and period: This plant has follicles that mature in the late summer and fall.
Range of Cutler’s Milkweed (Asclepias cutleri) in the United States and Canada
This milkweed species is native to the southwestern United States and is considered rare in each state. This species is endemic to the Colorado plateau (Sphar 1991).
Habitat
This species grows in sandy/gravelly places (Woodson 1954) such as sand dunes with desert shrub and pinyon-juniper (Welsh and Chatterley 1985) at elevations of around 3,000 to 5,000 feet.
Hosted Insects
This species is a host for the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus), the Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus).
Other Supported Wildlife
This species is a nectar source to other butterflies, skippers, bees, and wasps during the growing season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this plant poisonous?
Like other milkweeds, it has cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) and is considered to be poisonous with ingestion.
Does this plant have any ethnobotanical uses?
The Native American Ethobotanical Database does not cite this species specifically, but milkweeds in general have been used for pharmaceuticals, fibers, and foods.
How is this plant distinguished from other milkweeds?
This plant is most similar to bract milkweed (Asclepias brachystephana) and wheel milkweed (Asclepias uncialis). However, this species has narrower leaves (Woodson 1939). It is also close to Ruth’s milkweed (Asclepias ruthiae), but whereas this milkweed has narrow leaves and Ruth’s milkweed has ovate leaves (Welsh, et al 1987).
Is this plant invasive?
This plant has not been noted as being weedy and is considered rare.
Gardening with Cutler’s Milkweed (Asclepias cutleri)
Hardiness
This species is hardy roughly in zones 5-7. If your garden is within these zones and you have the right growing conditions (soil, moisture and exposure), you may well be able to grow this plant. However, if planted outside of its range, the hosted species may not recognize the plant or be harmed by ingesting a different species with an unfamiliar chemical composition. However, this is a rare species and is not in the horticultural trade.
Optimal Conditions
This species can grow in full sun to partial-shade in well-drained sandy soil.
References
- Spahr, Robin. 1991. Threatened, endangered, and sensitive species of the Intermountain Region. (Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service).
- Welsh, Stanley L., Duane N. Atwood, Sherel-Higgins Goodrich. 1987. A Utah Flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs 9: 1-895.
- Welsh, Stanley L. and Matthew L. Chatterley. 1985. Utah’s Rare Plants Revisited. Great Basin Naturalist 45 (2): 173-236.
- Welsh, Stanley L. and K.H. Thorne. 1979. Illustrated Manual of proposed endangered and threatened plants of Utah. (Denver, CO: US Fish and Wildlife Service).
- Woodson, Robert E. 1954. The North American Species of Asclepias L. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 41: 1-211.
- Woodson, Robert E. 1939. Two New Asclepiads From The Western United States. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 26: 261-264.
