Scientific Name: Asclepias linaria
Common Name: Pineleaf Milkweed, Pineneedle milkweed
Family: Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family
Duration: Perennial
Size: Up to 5 feet, but usually less.
Growth Form: Forb/herb, subshrub; woody near base, stems erect or ascending, multiple branches, with milky sap.
Leaves: Green; alternate, persistent, without a petiole (sessile), narrowly linear like pine needles.
Flower Color: White or greenish-white with pinkish or purplish appendages, small flowers; inflorescence an umbel with small stems or peduncle, fruit is a follicle.
Flowering Season: February to October.
Comments: Pineneedle Milkweed is rare in the United States but common in Arizona where found in its preferred habitats. Pineneedle Milkweed makes an attractive natural looking desert landscape plant with its interesting shape and unusual flower clusters that attract butterflies and other insects. The plants are unlike any other milkweed species and small individuals are commonly confused with juvenile pine trees.
