Description

This milkweed is the most widespread of California’s fourteen native species. Only the deserts of the southeast manage to exclude it. This is my local milkweed with a few patches growing within a twenty minute walk from my home in West San Jose. Narrowleaf milkweed grows as a patch of three foot stems with whorls of leaves . In early to mid summer the stems are topped by umbels of white flowers detailed in pink. The plant will begin dormancy in the late summer and may disappear completely during the winter months. A slightly larger patch returns in mid-spring. Narrowleaf milkweed is thought to be one of the most important host plants for the monarch butterfly, so planting a patch in your garden is a way to help this beleaguered species. Although full sun is appreciated, Narrowleaf milkweed also thrives in partial shade. It is a good choice for planting under oaks, near the bright shade of the drip line. Well draining soil is preferred. Like all milkweed, aphids may cover this plant for much of the summer. They do not appear to cause any harm, but may be reduced with the typical remedies.