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Description

Zizotes Milkweed is a native, warm season perennial forb that grows 1-2’ tall at maturity from an underground tuber.  It has unique, but inconspicuous white flowers.  It is found in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Zizotes Milkweed is a host plant for the monarch butterfly, which will lay eggs on established or emerging plants during both the spring and fall migration. It is an excellent pollinator plant overall attracting a variety of bees, butterflies, and wasps.

Mariposa Germplasm was developed and informally released by the Texas Native Seeds Program in collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and USDA NRCS Kingsville Plant Materials Center.  Native populations in Cameron and Kleberg Counties in the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes make up the release.  The selection has shown broad adaptation throughout Texas on many soils and vegetation types. In large scale plantings, Mariposa only needs to be included at <1% of the planting mix to mimic the natural sporadic abundance of the species. Zizotes milkweed is the easiest milkweed native to Texas to establish from seed, and one of the few native milkweeds with a Texas-origin commercial seed source readily available.

For more information: Zizotes Milkweed by Monarch Watch