Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Green
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: CO , LA , NM , OK , TX
Native Habitat: Sandy or gravelly ground, prairies, ditches and fields. Can be poisonous to livestock. Prefers sandy, dry soil.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Conditions Comments: This member of the Milkweed family loves full sun and tolerates sandy, dry soils. Great for butterfly gardens. Purple tinge comes to upper leaves in full sun.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: A well-documented larval host for Monarch butterflies.
Warning: All plants in the genus Asclepias are probably somewhat toxic, some fatally so, to both humans and other animals. The sap of some, including Asclepias oenotheroides, causes skin irritation in humans. The word zizotes in this plants common name is a Spanish term meaning skin sores. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with a person’s age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size. Toxicity can vary in a plant according to season, the plant’s different parts, and its stage of growth; and plants can absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Larval Host: Monarch butterfly
Nectar Source: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees
Special Value to Bumble Bees
Special Value to Honey Bees
Supports Conservation Biological Control

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX
National Butterfly Center - Mission, TX
NPSOT - Williamson County Chapter - Georgetown, TX, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0259 Collected Aug. 16, 1992 in Comal County by Mary Beth White
NPSOT 0126 Collected Sept. 7, 1991 in Bexar County by Lottie Millsaps
NPSOT 0182 Collected Oct. 8, 1991 in Bexar County by Lottie Millsaps

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-500 Collected 2007-06-18 in Travis County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Bibliography

Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Asclepias oenotheroides in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Asclepias oenotheroides in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Asclepias oenotheroides