# Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria)

> A stout, velvety-gray milkweed of deep sand, found in sandhills, blowouts and dune country from Nebraska to Texas, with crowded cream flower clusters and thick wavy-edged leaves.

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

## Summary

A stout, velvety-gray milkweed of deep sand, found in sandhills, blowouts and dune country from Nebraska to Texas, with crowded cream flower clusters and thick wavy-edged leaves.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Asclepias arenaria Torr. |
| Genus | Asclepias |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Common names | Sand Milkweed, Western Sand Milkweed |
| Status | Native |
| Height | 1 ft–2.5 ft |
| Spread | 1 ft–3 ft |
| Flower color | cream, green |
| Bloom period | June to August |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil moisture | Dry |
| USDA zones | 4-8 |
| Leaf arrangement | opposite |
| Leaf shape | ovate |
| Sap | Milky latex |
| Root system | Rhizomatous, spreads by root |
| Seed stratification | 30 days cold-moist |
| Monarch value (0-5) | 4 |
| Garden value (0-5) | 2 |
| Nectar value (0-5) | 3 |
| US states recorded | Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah |

## Identification

- Whole plant densely covered in short white hairs, giving a gray cast.
- Leaves thick with distinctly wavy margins, held stiffly.
- Grows only in deep, loose sand, so habitat alone nearly identifies it.

## Ecology

An important monarch host in the Nebraska Sandhills and southern plains dune systems, where its broad leaves are a rare resource.

## Growing

Requires pure sand and sharp drainage; unsuited to ordinary garden soil.

## Cautions

Standard milkweed cautions.

## References

- Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:94112-1
- GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/3170290
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/158732
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_arenaria
- BONAP county map: https://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Asclepias%20arenaria.png
- NatureServe: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search?searchTerm=Asclepias%20arenaria

## Photographs

- Asclepias arenaria - 51295254293 (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_arenaria_-_51295254293.jpg
- Asclepias arenaria (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_arenaria.jpg
- Asclepias arenaria - 51295099771 (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_arenaria_-_51295099771.jpg
- Asclepias arenaria - 51295263658 (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_arenaria_-_51295263658.jpg
- Asclepias arenaria - 51295266073 (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_arenaria_-_51295266073.jpg
- Asclepias arenaria - 51295800229 (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_arenaria_-_51295800229.jpg
- Asclepias arenaria - 51296082445 (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_arenaria_-_51296082445.jpg
- Asclepias arenaria - pollinarium on petal (sonnia hill, CC BY 2.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_arenaria_-_pollinarium_on_petal.jpg

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria). https://milkweedusa.com/species/sand-milkweed/