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Flowers of western sand milkweed (Asclepias arenaria).Asclepias arenaria Torr. observed in United States of America by calinsdad (licensed under http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
Monarch Butterfly on goldenrodALAN SCHMIERER from southeast AZ, USA, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

(Asclepias arenaria)
Western Sand Milkweed

Host Plant: Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

Nectar Plant: Monarchs, and other butterflies and insects

Flower Color: pale green

Growth Habit: herbaceous perennial that grows to 3 feet tall

Range in North America: Midwest United States from South Dakota and Wyoming and south

Exposure: Full sun

Hardiness: Zones 4-11

Soil Requirements: Sandy, dry soil

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Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria)

Flowers of western sand milkweed (Asclepias arenaria).
Asclepias arenaria Torr. observed in United States of America by calinsdad (licensed under CC0 1.0)

Alternative Names

Sand Milkweed

Description of Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria)

Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria), a member of the Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family), is a herbaceous perennial that grows to 3 feet tall and has pale green flowers that bloom in the summer and fall. This plant grows in zones 4-11 and likes open areas with full sun that are dry and sandy.  The leaves are opposite, simple, have entire margins, obovate to oval in shape, and range from 2-4 inches in length and 1-3 inches in width.  More information about Western Sand Milkweed can be found on this blog post.

Hosted Species

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

Monarch butterfly (Danaus gilippus) on a goldenrod.
Monarch Butterfly on a Goldenrod — ALAN SCHMIERER from southeast AZ, USA, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nectar Species

Many butterflies, bees, flies, ants, and beetles use this plant as a nectar source.

Range of Western Sand Milkweed in the United States and Canada

Range map of Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria) in the United States.

 

Habitat

Western Sand Milkweed is found in open areas such as savannas, fields, prairies, and roadsides that are sandy and dry. 

Interesting Facts

The genus name, Asclepias, is the Greek name for the God of Medicine and the species name, means “of sand.” (Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses)

Webpages

Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

Identification of Milkweeds in Texas

 

Native Location

Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10, Zone 11

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Western Sand Milkweed”

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