# Oval-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia)

> A compact northern-prairie milkweed under two feet tall, with neat oval leaves and small creamy-white flower clusters, found on sandy prairie and open oak savanna from Michigan to Montana.

Source: https://milkweedusa.com/species/ovalleaf-milkweed/  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Milkweed USA)

## Summary

A compact northern-prairie milkweed under two feet tall, with neat oval leaves and small creamy-white flower clusters, found on sandy prairie and open oak savanna from Michigan to Montana.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Asclepias ovalifolia Decne. |
| Genus | Asclepias |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Common names | Oval-leaf Milkweed, Dwarf Milkweed |
| Status | Native |
| Height | 8 in–1.7 ft |
| Spread | 1 ft–2.5 ft |
| Flower color | white, green |
| Bloom period | June to July |
| Light | Full sun, Part shade |
| Soil moisture | Dry, Average |
| USDA zones | 3-7 |
| Leaf arrangement | opposite |
| Leaf shape | ovate |
| Sap | Milky latex |
| Root system | Rhizomatous, spreads by root |
| Seed stratification | 60 days cold-moist |
| Monarch value (0-5) | 4 |
| Garden value (0-5) | 3 |
| Nectar value (0-5) | 3 |
| US states recorded | Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin |

## Identification

- Short stature with evenly spaced oval opposite leaves, downy beneath.
- One or two small terminal clusters of creamy white to greenish flowers.
- Northern prairie, sand savanna and open jack pine barrens.

## Ecology

A useful monarch host in the northern breeding range and a good early-summer nectar plant on sandy prairie.

## Growing

A well-behaved small milkweed for northern gardens, spreading slowly by rhizome. Needs a long cold stratification.

## Cautions

Standard milkweed cautions.

## References

- Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:94507-1
- GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/3170264
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/47905
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_ovalifolia
- BONAP county map: https://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Asclepias%20ovalifolia.png
- NatureServe: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search?searchTerm=Asclepias%20ovalifolia

## Photographs

- Ovalleaf Milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia) (USFWS Mountain Prairie, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ovalleaf_Milkweed_(Asclepias_ovalifolia).jpg
- Oval-leaf milkweed (19054174765) (Justin Meissen from St Paul, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oval-leaf_milkweed_(19054174765).jpg
- Some kind of desert flower (14480035108) (waferboard, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Some_kind_of_desert_flower_(14480035108).png
- Oval-leaf Milkweed on Mundt Lake WPA (36093654383) (USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oval-leaf_Milkweed_on_Mundt_Lake_WPA_(36093654383).jpg
- Oval-leaf Milkweed photographed in Leola, SD, US (Public domain (CC0), CC0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/270557637
- Oval-leaf Milkweed photographed in Sibley, ND, USA (Esben Kjaer, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/123178170
- Oval-leaf Milkweed photographed in Riding Mountain National Park, Lake Audy, MB, CA (Sean Frey, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/85844657
- Oval-leaf Milkweed photographed in Beaver Creek Conservation Area, Corman Park, SK, CA (Dustin Snider, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/223024824

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Oval-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia). https://milkweedusa.com/species/ovalleaf-milkweed/