# Antelopehorn Milkweed (*Asclepias asperula*) Antelopehorn Milkweed is a special plant that grows tall and has unique horn-shaped flowers. It is important for butterflies and other insects because they love to visit it! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 18 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Antelopehorn Milkweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Asclepias_asperula_6.jpg&width=800) Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asclepias_asperula_6.jpg) ## Appearance The Antelopehorn Milkweed is a stout plant with upright, unbranched stems and narrow, waxy leaves. It has unusual greenish-yellow to purplish-brown flowers arranged in dense, spherical clusters, often resembling tiny antelope horns before fully opening, making it visually distinct. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Gentianales - **Family:** Apocynaceae - **Genus:** Asclepias ## Interesting facts - After flowering, it grows fascinating seed pods shaped like small, green horns. - Its unique flowers have tiny 'pockets' that trap insect legs to attach pollen! - The 'milk' in milkweed is a sticky sap that can clog up predators' mouths! - This tough plant grows well in dry, sunny places where other plants struggle. ## Special abilities - **Monarch Magnet:** Antelopehorn Milkweed produces specific chemicals that attract monarch butterflies to lay eggs, ensuring its role as a vital host plant. - **Sticky Sap Defense:** Antelopehorn Milkweed has a sticky, milky sap that can deter herbivores and gum up insect mouths, helping it defend against being eaten. - **Drought Survivor:** Antelopehorn Milkweed can store water in its thick roots and has waxy leaves to reduce water loss, helping it thrive in dry environments. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-90 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Monarch Butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Larvae feed exclusively on its leaves, consuming toxins. - **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Visits flowers to collect nectar and pollen. - **Eats:** [Large Milkweed Bug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/large-milkweed-bug) (*Oncopeltus fasciatus*) — Feeds on seeds, flowers, and stems of the plant. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not eat any part of the plant without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Antelopehorn Milkweed? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Antelopehorn Milkweed? 30-90 cm ### How wide does Antelopehorn Milkweed spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Antelopehorn Milkweed? 1-2 cm ### When does Antelopehorn Milkweed bloom? Spring to summer ### Is Antelopehorn Milkweed edible? No ### Is Antelopehorn Milkweed toxic? Moderate ### What is Antelopehorn Milkweed's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chihuahuan-desert-nature-center-and-botanical-gardens) — Texas, US · Botanical Garden - [Shackelford County Courthouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shackelford-county-courthouse-historic-district) — Texas, US · Historic District - [Thurber](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/thurber) — Texas, US · Neighborhood - [Bertrand F. Harrison Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bertrand-f-harrison-arboretum) — Utah, US · Botanical Garden - [Bracken Cave](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bracken-cave) — Texas, US · Natural Landmark - [Caverns of Sonora](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/caverns-of-sonora) — Texas, US · Natural Landmark [View all places to see Antelopehorn Milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/antelopehorn-milkweed) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Antelopehorn Milkweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/antelopehorn-milkweed)