Calflora
Taxon  Report   751    
Asclepias speciosa  Torr.
Showy milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
© 2017 DigiBirdTrek CA
Photos from
CalPhotos / Calflora
Asclepias speciosa
© 2017 Brett Dean
Asclepias speciosa
© 2018 Jay Chamberlain
Asclepias speciosa, a dicot, is a perennial herb that is native to California, is also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.

Interactive Distribution Map


Observation Hotline
(observation details)



point, line, or polygon

Plant Characteristics
and Associations


Bloom Period
Asclepias speciosa
© 2018 Julie Kierstead Nelson
Family: APOCYNACEAE  
Genus: Asclepias
Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, wetland-riparian

Toxicity: MINOR, DERMATITIS

Wetlands: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
ICPN + PLANTS: Asclepias giffordii
More information about  Asclepias speciosa
Nursery / seed vendor availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Landscaping information from Calscape
Photos on PlantID.net   /   Google Images
Jepson eFlora

Records from the Consortium of California Herbaria

ITIS Original Publication citation

USDA PLANTS Profile (ASSP)

Search the International Plants Names Index

Search efloras.org (Flora of North America)

website references from Google


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals, including the Consortium of California Herbaria. [web application]. 2019. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: Jan 15, 2019).