SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 4037.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "4037" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.

Safe for Children?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Dogs?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Cats?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Reptiles?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Engelmann's milkweed

Scientific Name: Asclepias engelmanniana

Family: Asclepiadaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Forb/herb

Duration: Perennial

Other Names: IA (eared milkweed)

       

Engelmann's Milkweed (Asclepias engelmanniana)

Engelmann's Milkweed, scientifically known as Asclepias engelmanniana, is a native plant with significant ecological importance.

Considerations for Pets

  • The plant has milky sap.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Asclepias engelmanniana
  • Common Name: Engelmann's Milkweed
  • Family: Apocynaceae (Dogbane family) / Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed family)
  • Synonyms: Acerates auriculata Engelm. ex Torr., Asclepias auriculata (Engelm. ex Torr.) Holz.
  • Taxonomic Rank: Species
  • The species is named for George Engelmann (1809-1884).

Distribution and Habitat

  • Reported in: Arizona (AZ), Colorado (CO), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Nebraska (NE), New Mexico (NM), Oklahoma (OK), Texas (TX), and Wyoming (WY).
  • Grows in pastures and roadsides in Oklahoma.
  • Habitat: Far west regions.

Ecological Role

  • Crucial to the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. Female Monarchs seek out this milkweed to lay their eggs, as it serves as a food source for Monarch larva.
  • Milkweed plants, including Asclepias engelmanniana, are declining in the U.S. due to human activities.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Asclepias engelmanniana is described as a tall, slender plant.
  • It has narrow, linear leaves.
  • Stems are erect, simple or sparsely branched above.
  • Plants are glabrous or sparsely puberulent, not glaucous.
  • Flowers are greenish-white with purplish horns.
  • Flowers have pale green petals with a central column and hoods hugging the central column.
  • Plant has 1 to several stems, ranging from 12--47 inches in height.
  • Milkweeds have flower clusters which produce one pod filled with "silk" and seeds.
  • Leaves are mostly alternate.

Phenology

  • Bloom time is typically from April to September.

Quirky Facts

  • This milkweed is easily identified by its long, slender leaves and flowers lacking horns.

Further Resources

  • Dave's Garden: A community that shares tips and ideas for gardens, along with seeds and plants.
  • USDA-NRCS (United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service).
  • Highlands Center for Natural History - Sue Smith.
  • Monarch Watch