Sarcostemma cynanchoides

Sarcostemma cynanchoides or Climbing Milkweed is an herbaceous, perennial vine with opposite leaves and pinkish-purplish flowers, found in dry, rocky arroyos, desert washes, and ditches near cultivated fields. It exudes a milky sap when stems are broken, and has the familiar milkweed pods when in fruit. In our area it blooms from April to June. Striated Queen butterflies use species in the genera Sarcostemma and Asclepias as host plants.

Introduction to Valentien Collection
Gallery of Plants
Monarca: A Gallery of Butterfly Plants

Text by Margaret Dykens