Hall'S Milkweed (Asclepias hallii)
Description
(Hall's Milkweed) Although drought resistant, the rare Asclepias hallii prefers moist soil because it is accustomed to the snowmelt of its homelands in the foothills and mountains of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Hall's Milkweed has minty green foliage with long, lance shaped leaves. The color of Its flowers may vary by location. For example, some reports say they are a dusky purple with pale rose to cream centers. Others report rose with cream centers. Ours have mostly bloomed a creamy white. This full sun perennial is exceptionally cold hardy and also tolerates heat. Give it well-drained, gritty loam. Milkweeds produce rich nectar that is popular with many butterflies. However, it's their foliage -- home to Monarch caterpillars -- that make them so valuable in butterfly gardens. Monarch Butterflies almost exclusively lay their eggs on milkweeds, which have powerful, bitter chemicals in their leaves. By consuming the plant's sap during their larval stage, Monarchs are protected against predators throughout their lives. Deer, understandably, avoid nibbling on these plants. In its Colorado Rare Plant Guide, Colorado State University identifies Hall's Milkweed as being ecologically "vulnerable." Asclepias hallii sometimes is called Purple Silkweed. It's scientific name honors self-taught botanist Elihu Hall (1822-1882) who collected plants in Colorado's South Park mountain valley in 1862. Monarch migration occurs primarily along eastern and western flyways. The western route stretches from Mexico northward through California and the Pacific Northwest. Those traveling through the Rocky Mountains, and enjoying Hall's Milkweed, may be strays from either the western or eastern groups.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Gentianales
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Family: Apocynaceae
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Genus: Asclepias
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