Carried by 56 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Showy milkweed is native to much of the western half of North America. In California it is found in the Sierras and Coast Ranges, from Tulare County to Modoc and Siskiyou Counties. This flowering plant is a hairy, erect perennial that grows to about 4 feet tall. The large, pointed, banana-like leaves are arranged opposite on the stalk-like stem. The fragrant eye-catching furry pale pink to pinkish-purple flowers are arranged in thick umbels. Their petal structure is reflexed and the central flower parts, five hoods with prominent hooks, are star-shaped. The fruit is a large, rough follicle filled with many flat oval seeds with luxuriant silky plumes. It spreads by underground rhizomes, forming an expanding clump. Many Native American peoples use this plant for numerous medicinal purposes and also consume certain parts as food. Showy Milkweed is popular with birds and insects, notably the Monarch butterfly. Alkaloids inside the plant are picked up by the caterpillars and give them protection by making them taste awful to predators.
Perennial herb
4 - 6 ft Tall
4 ft Wide
Upright, Spreading, Upright Columnar
Moderate
Winter Deciduous
Pleasant
White, Pink, Purple
Summer
Deer resistant
Full Sun
Low, Very Low
Max 2x / month once established
Easy
Tolerates cold to -5° F
Fast, Medium
Tolerates clay soil but performs best with good drainage.
Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.5
If a clump becomes too large, excess rootstock can be pruned during the winter when the plant is dormant
from seed there are two options A. Place the seeds on a bowl with lid in some water or a damp paper towel and place in the fridge for a few weeks or until sprouted. When sprouted place the sprouts flat on their sides into some damp soil. Cover with a very thin layer of soil. These plants should be planted directly into the ground. They don't transplant well due to long roots (rhizomes) B. Throw seeds onto desired area during the cold months of the year and allow the rain to water them Plant in full sun
1, 2*, 3*, 4, 5, 6*, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10*, 14*, 15*, 16, 17, 18*, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Flats, meadows, seasonally moist soils, typically in mountainous areas, although it is also found in the central valley
Chaparral, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Wetland-Riparian, Yellow Pine Forest
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Likely
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Confirmed
Crotch's Bumble Bee
Bombus crotchii
Coquillett's Leafcutter Bee
Megachile coquilletti
Western Little Leafcutter Bee
Megachile onobrychidis
Furry Leafcutter Bee
Megachile perihirta
Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
Daikon
Raphanus sativus
Ginger Root
Zingiber officinale
Grapefruit
Citrus