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Woollypod Milkweed
Asclepias eriocarpa
  
28 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Woollypod Milkweed (Asclepias eriocarpa) 28 Nurseries Carry This Plant Asclepias eriocarpa is native to California and adjacent parts of Nevada and Baja California, where it grows in many habitat types, especially dry areas. In California it is found primarily in the Coast Ranges from Mendocino County southward into Mexico, in the Sierra foothills, and in the northern part of the Central Valley. It is an erect perennial herb which is usually coated in a thick layer of white hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval, rippled, and arranged oppositely in pairs or in whorls of 3 or 4. The flower cluster is a large umbel-like cluster of flowers. Each flower is white to cream and usually tinted with bright pink. It has a central array of rounded hoods and a corolla reflexed against the stalk. The fruit is a large, woolly follicle. The plant is used as a source of fiber and medicine by several California Indian groups, including the Ohlone and Luiseno. In the garden it makes a striking specimen, especially when massed. All milkweeds are important to monarch butterflies.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
1.3 - 3 ft tall
1 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright Columnar

Dormancy
Dormancy
Winter Deciduous

Flower Color
Flower Color
Cream, Pink, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Many insects, especially butterflies. Very important as a host plant for Monarch butterflies. This means the milkweed gardener must be prepared for the plant to be eaten by Monarch caterpillars.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed , 4 likely * ) SHOW ALL
Danaus plexippus Image
Monarch Danaus plexippusDanaus plexippus
*
Danaus gilippus Image
Queen Danaus gilippusDanaus gilippus
*
Hyles lineata Image
White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata
*
Pyrrharctia isabella Image
Isabella Tiger Moth Pyrrharctia isabellaPyrrharctia isabella
*
Ectypia clio Image
Clio Tiger Moth Ectypia clioEctypia clio

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 28

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -20° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils including clay. Soil PH: 6.0 - 7.0

Common uses
Common uses
Butterfly Gardens, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Many companions including Pines (Pinus sp.), Fir (Abies sp.), Oak (Quercus sp.), Sagebrush (Artemisia sp.), Manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.), Encelia sp., Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon sp.), Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum), and many others

Maintenance
Maintenance
It is recommended that no pest control be used because this species is host plant to the Monarch butterfly and will be eaten by Monarch caterpillars

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
7*, 8*, 9*, 10, 14*, 15*, 16, 17, 18*, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Dry open places such as grasslands, openings in woodlands or chaparral

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 6.1" - 67.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.13" - 2.99", Coldest Month: 33.1" - 54.2", Hottest Month: 55.2" - 80.2", Humidity: 0.36" - 29.07", Elevation: 22" - 8798"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Indian Milkweed, Kotolo Milkweed


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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