Woolly Pod Milkweed Seeds (Asclepias eriocarpa)

One of the earliest emerging western milkweeds, woolly pod is possibly uniquely important to the western monarch butterfly population – likely providing one of the first ovipositing opportunities as monarchs migrate inland from California’s coastal overwintering sites.

Woolly pod milkweed occurs across most of California (and Baja), but is partial to open, rocky, dry, sunny slopes. 

Among milkweeds (all of which are beautiful plants), this is a notably attractive species – featuring pleasingly robust, silver-blue-green wrinkled leaves and often contorted stems, all of which is covered with fuzzy, fine, soft hairs. The huge, fragrant white-pink-yellow umbels are a beacon to pollinators: bumble bees, magnificent Xylocopa carpenter bees – in metallic indigo and gleaming copper – fantastic big solitary hunting wasps seemingly animated by an electrical charge – and all manner of butterflies.

Additionally – and specifically notable for monarchs, woolly pod milkweed is considered to be particularly high in protective cardenolides, reducing the palatability of monarchs to potential predators. 

Approximately 50 seeds (1.1 grams).