| Common Name | California milkweed |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Asclepias californica |
| Plant Family | Apocynaceae |
| Origin | Native |
| Duration | Perennial |
| Flower Color | Lavender, pink |
| Plant Type | Herb |
| Habitats | Chaparral, yellow pine forest, pinyon-juniper woodland (prefers steep, north-northwest facing slopes) |
Description
The California milkweed’s range stretches from the East Bay to the foothills of the Sierra and farther south to central and southern California. Its range also stretches to slightly outside California.
The monarch butterfly relies exclusively on milkweeds as its host plant (food for its caterpillars) as it migrates through North America.
Save Mount Diablo is planting California milkweeds to create habitat for the western monarch in the Mount Diablo region.
To ensure that the milkweed is suitable for the area, Save Mount Diablo safely harvests seeds from pre-existing California milkweed populations on Mount Diablo and uses those to grow new plants.
Photo by Haley Sutton
