Rush Milkweed (Asclepias subulata)

This member of this milkweed family is commonly known as Rush or Skeleton Milkweed. This perennial species spends most of the year as a cluster of bare stalks. This adaptation allows the plant to survive the dry conditions of the desert. Despite its lack of foliage, this species is still a host plant for the monarch butterfly and plays a vital role for eastern monarchs that migrate through the desert.