sign in sign up
<<
Home , Asclepias, Asclepias quadrifolia, Asclepias sullivantii, Asclepias tuberosa

THE KERR CENTER GUIDE TO Native Milkweeds of

BY MAURA MCDERMOTT

THE KERR CENTER GUIDE TO Native Milkweeds of Oklahoma

BY MAURA MCDERMOTT

KERR CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 2015 Acknowledgments

By Maura McDermott, Kerr Center, Jennifer Hopwood and Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Thanks to Jennifer Hopwood for information about bloom time and whether is a host plant.

Note: Oklahoma has 77 counties. The state has several eco-regions, ranging from eastern forests, to tall grass prairie, to short grass prairie and semi-desert. There are milkweeds for every eco-region.

Sources

1. List of Oklahoma milkweeds taken from: http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/ milkweeds-by-state/

2. The Guide to Oklahoma Wildflowers by Patricia Folley

3. Oklahoma Wildflowers by Doyle McCoy

4. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center, www.wildflower.org

For detailed maps of milkweed distribution in Oklahoma visit: http://bonap.net/NAPA/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Asclepias

For more information contact: Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture 24456 Kerr Rd. , Poteau, OK 74953 918.647.9123, [email protected] www.kerrcenter.com

Copyright © 2015 Kerr Center NATIVE MILKWEEDS OF OKLAHOMA 1

Introduction

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) populations have dropped dramatically in the central . Their long migration from overwintering grounds north of City as far north as spanning multiple generations is a miracle of nature. Monarch need milkweeds to feed on to complete their life cycle. This guide was developed in the hopes of promoting interest in and the planting of native Oklahoma milkweeds.

We have had success germinating milkweeds in our greenhouse operation at the Kerr Center. The challenge has been survival of the transplants in A NOTE ON SWAMP MILKWEED the field. Work is being done to identify ways to (A. incarnata ssp. incarnata) improve planting success with native milkweeds. Here at the Kerr Center, we have had the I have had the greatest success with Swamp needs irrigation in the landscape or planting in a greatest success with butterfly milkweed milkweed in germination, transplanting and moist site. It has a fibrous root system, which may ( tuberosa), swamp milkweed (A. incarnata attracting monarchs. The pink flowers are a nice be why it survives transplanting so well. spp. incarnata) and antelope horns milkweed addition to formal plantings. The have been (A. asperula), both in germination and transplanting. stripped of leaves by monarch caterpillars several We hope this guide will help you identify native Others have had good success with common times each year in the landscape. Despite the milkweeds in Oklahoma and inspire you to grow milkweed (A. syriaca), but its success can be fact that native milkweeds are perennial plants, some and protect those you find. Helping the a double edged sword in a formal landscape. for unknown reasons, swamp milkweed acts like is something everyone can Common milkweed spreads by and can an annual in our plantings. It is important to participate in just by planting a few milkweeds! remember that while most milkweeds tolerate create large colonies in flower beds, so you may — David Redhage want to reserve its use for naturalized areas. drought conditions in the field,swamp milkweed 2 NATIVE MILKWEEDS OF OKLAHOMA

Clasping milkweed Bract milkweed Asclepias brachystephana

Number of counties where 32 Number of counties where 1 occurrence has been documented: occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where West Central Habitat, part of state where Far west it most occurs: it most occurs: Bloom time: May-Sept Bloom time: Apr-Sept

Sand milkweed Engelmann’s milkweed Asclepias arenaria Asclepias engelmanniana

Number of counties where 24 Number of counties where 23 occurrence has been documented: occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Habitat, part of state where Scattered across it most occurs: West it most occurs: state, mostly Bloom time: May-Aug west Bloom time: July-Sept

Antelope horns, spider milkweed Tall green milkweed

Number of counties where 47 Number of counties where 21 occurrence has been documented: occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Dry soils of Habitat, part of state where Scattered, it most occurs: prairies, it most occurs: mostly east mostly western Bloom time: May-Aug Bloom time: Mar-Oct NATIVE MILKWEEDS OF OKLAHOMA 3

Rose, Marsh or Broad-leaf milkweed Swamp milkweed Asclepias latifolia Number of counties where 19 Number of counties where 20 occurrence has been documented: occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Central & west; Habitat, part of state where Wet areas it most occurs: widely distrib- it most occurs: statewide, uted on dry more common plains in east Bloom time: May-Sept NOTES: Observed monarch Bloom time: Jun-Oct caterpillars eating it in Sept. 2014

Long hood milkweed Asclepias macrotis

Dwarf milkweed Number of counties where 1 occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Panhandle, Number of counties where 1 it most occurs: rare occurrence has been documented: Bloom time: May-Oct Habitat, part of state where Rare, in it most occurs: Cimarron County Bloom time: Mar-July

Pineland milkweed Asclepias obovata

Number of counties where 8 occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Eastern it most occurs: Bloom time: June-Aug 4 NATIVE MILKWEEDS OF OKLAHOMA

Sidecluster milkweed, Fourleaf milkweed Zizotes milkweed Number of counties where 16 occurrence has been documented: Number of counties where 7 occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Most common Habitat, part of state where Central, south it most occurs: in eastern part most occurs: central, southwest of the state Bloom time: June-Sept Bloom time: April-July

Plains milkweed Showy milkweed Asclepias pumila

Number of counties where 14 Number of counties where 19 occurrence has been documented: occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Southwest, Habitat, part of state where Moist soil of it most occurs: northwest it most occurs: open areas, also Bloom time: June-Sept in panhandle Bloom time: May-Sept

Purple milkweed Narrow-leaf milkweed

Number of counties where 4 Number of counties where 47 occurrence has been documented: occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Dry fields, Habitat, part of state where Western half it most occurs: meadows, open it most occurs: of state on dry woods in a few plains eastern counties Bloom time: June-Aug Bloom time: May-July NATIVE MILKWEEDS OF OKLAHOMA 5

Horsetail milkweed Butterfly milkweed Asclepias subverticillata

Number of counties where 1 Number of counties where 69 occurrence has been documented: occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Panhandle Habitat, part of state where Statewide it most occurs:  it most occurs: except Bloom time: May-Sept panhandle Bloom time: May-Sept

Prairie milkweed Wheel milkweed Number of counties where 7 occurrence has been documented: Number of counties where 2 Habitat, part of state where Most common occurrence has been documented: it most occurs: nor theast and north central Habitat, part of state where Panhandle prairie it most occurs: Bloom time: Jun-Aug Bloom time: May-June

Common milkweed White milkweed

Number of counties where 8 Number of counties where 7 occurrence has been documented: occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Northwest Habitat, part of state where Southeast, it most occurs: it most occurs:  Bloom time: Aug-Oct border counties Bloom time: May-July 6 NATIVE MILKWEEDS OF OKLAHOMA

Whorled milkweed Green, Green antelope horn milkweed Number of counties where 58 occurrence has been documented: Number of counties where 66 Habitat, part of state where Northwest, occurrence has been documented: it most occurs: Northeast, Habitat, part of state where Prairies, widely Ditches, road it most occurs: distributed, banks Central and east Bloom time: May-Sept Bloom time: April-Sept

Note: A common late season host plant for monarch larvae

Short green milkweed

Number of counties where 56 occurrence has been documented: Habitat, part of state where Northeast, it most occurs: roadsides, ditches, prairies, open areas, and other areas with little vegetative competition Note: Common in pastures Bloom time: April-Sept from to . Generally avoided by cattle and horses. KERR CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE POTEAU, OKLAHOMA