Table of Contents for Tufted Milkweed (Asclepias nummularia)
Tufted Milkweed (Asclepias nummularia) is a herbaceous perennial that is native to the south-central and southwestern United States. This plant is a host to the Queen (Danaus gilippus) and Monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterflies. Growing from 0.15 to 0.3 feet tall, this species has purple to rose flowers that bloom from April to August. It is hardy in zones 8-10.
Taxonomy and Naming of Tufted Milkweed (Asclepias nummularia)
Taxonomy
Tufted Milkweed (Asclepias nummularia) was originally named and described by John Torrey, an American botanist, in 1859. The description was based on a specimen from New Mexico (Wooten and Standley 1915). This species has kept the same name since this time 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, nummularia, is Latin for “like a coin” (Wikipedia), apparently in reference to the leaves.
Common Name and Alternative Names
The common name describes the growing habit of the plant. Another common name is money milkweed (Asclepias nummularia) (Jones 1950), hence the species name.
Physical Description of Tufted Milkweed (Asclepias nummularia)
Description
- Plant Type: This plant is a herbaceous perennial
- Height: 0.15 to 0.3 feet
- Stem: The stem is ascending to decumbent (Woodson 1954).
- Leaves: The leaves are opposite, short-petiolate, simple, and ovate to lanceolate in shape. The leaves are 0.5 to 2 inches long and about 0.4 to 2 inches wide. The leaves are membranaceous to subsucculent (Woodson 1954).
- Flower color: greenish-white (Baird, et al 1859), white (Jones 1950) purple, to rose
- Blooming period: This plant blooms from March to August.
- Fruiting type and period: This plant has follicles that mature in the late summer and fall.
Range of Tufted Milkweed (Asclepias nummularia) in the United States and Canada
This milkweed species is native to the south-central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Habitat
This species grows on dry grasslands with gravel or clay, rocky places, pinyon-juniper woodlands. It is also described from scrub grassland and oak woodland (Verrier 2018).
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 about Tufted Milkweed (Asclepias nummularia)
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 specifically mention this species, but milkweeds in general have been used for foods, pharmaceuticals, and fibers.
How is this plant distinguished from other milkweeds?
This species is similar to the nodding milkweed (Asclepias glaucescens), but the stem of tufted milkweed is much shorter and the leaves are about as broad as long. The short stature also separates this plant from the pallid milkweed (Asclepias cryptoceras) (Kearney and Peebles 1942).
Is this plant invasive?
This plant has not been described as invasive in the literature.
Gardening with Tufted Milkweed (Asclepias nummularia)
Hardiness
This species is hardy in zones 8-10. 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.
Optimal Conditions
This species grows best in places where it can receive full sun and has dry soil.
References
- Baird, Spencer Fullerton, et al. 1859. Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey Made under the Direction of the Secretary of the Interior. (Washington, DC: US DOI).
- Jones, Julia. 1950. Wild Pot Herbs of Texas. Texas Journal of Science 2: 400-404.
- Kearney, Thomas H. and Robert H. Peebles. 1942. Flowering Plants and Ferns of Arizona. (Washington, DC: USDA) No. 423.
- Singhurst, Jason and Ben Hutchins. 2015. Identification of Milkweeds in Texas. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Verrier, James T. 2018. Annotated Flora of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Pima and Pinal Counties, Southeastern Arizona. Desert Plants 33 (1): 5-291.
- Woodson, Robert E. 1954. The North American Species of Asclepias L. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 41: 1-211.
- Wooten, E.O. and Paul C. Standley. 1915. Flora of New Mexico. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium v. 19.
