Asclepias erosa

Torr.

Desert milkweed

Apocynaceae Edible: Leaves, Caution Potential hazards — see below 2,055 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Asclepias erosa is a species of milkweed known commonly as desert milkweed. It is native to southern California, Arizona, and northern Baja California, where it is most abundant in the desert regions.

Description

A perennial milkweed reaching 0.8 m (2 ft 7 in) tall by 0.4 m (1 ft 4 in) wide, growing at a fast rate. Hardy to UK zone 8 and not frost tender. Flowers bloom June to August, pollinated by bees, insects, moths, and butterflies. Noted for wildlife attraction. Grows in light sandy to medium loamy soils with good drainage and poor soil tolerance. Tolerates mildly acid to basic pH. Requires full sun. Prefers dry to moist conditions and tolerates drought. Ranges from California and Nevada north to Washington and Idaho and south into Baja Peninsula.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Edible Uses: Gum Edible parts: Leaves and flowers, after boiling. Sap dried for gum. Flavor: Leaves are palatable but slightly bitter; flowers mild and sweet. Preparation: Margins of leaves can be annoying but edible when trimmed. Traditional Use: The Kawaiisu and other California tribes would chew the dried sap as gum [2-3]. The milky sap can be left to solidify, then heated over a fire to be used as a chewing gum.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Known Hazards

Although no specific reports have been seen for this species, many, if not all, members of this genus contain toxic resinoids, alkaloids and cardiac glycosides. They are usually avoided by grazing animals.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows up to 1,500 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

North America, USA,

Cultivation

Experimental Crop Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon Management: HayWe have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a well-drained light rich or peaty soil. Succeeds in poor soils. Many members of this genus seem to be particularly prone to damage by slugs. The young growth in spring is especially vulnerable, but older growth is also attacked and even well-established plants have been destroyed in wet years. Plants resent root disturbance and are best planted into their final positions whilst small. The flower of many members of this genus can trap insects between its anther cells, the struggles of the insect in escaping ensure the pollination of the plant.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn or in late winter. We have also had good results from sowing the seed in the greenhouse in early spring, though stored seed might need 2 - 3 weeks cold stratification. Germination usually takes place in 1 - 3 months at 18°c. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out when they are in active growth in late spring or early summer and give them some protection from slugs until they are growing away strongly. Division in spring. With great care since the plant resents root disturbance. Pot the divisions up and place them in a lightly shaded position in the greenhouse until they are growing away strongly, then plant them out in the summer, giving them some protection from slugs until they are established.. Basal cuttings in late spring. Use shoots about 10cm long with as much of their white underground stem as possible. Pot them up individually and place them in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse until they are rooting and growing actively. If the plants grow sufficiently, they can be put into their permanent positions in the summer, otherwise keep them in the greenhouse until the following spring and when they are in active growth plant them out into their permanent positions. Give them some protection from slugs until they are established.

Other Uses

Gum Latex Rubber can be made from latex contained in the stems and leaves. The dogbane-milkweed family Asclepias, Apocynum, Calotropis, and Trachomitum spp) has been used for fiber industrial crops for millennia with a number in cultivation as regional crops. All of these crops are dual-purpose fibres, offering bast fibres from the stem and seed finer or ‘floss’ in the fruit pods. Many have also been identified as potential hydrocarbon crops due to high latex content. Could be integrated into various agroforestry systems rather than as monocultures [1-1]. Special Uses Carbon Farming