Flower profile
Green antelopehorns
Asclepias viridis
Green antelopehorns is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas
Quick look
Asclepias viridis is a species of milkweed, a plant in the dogbane family known by the common names green milkweed, green antelopehorn and spider milkweed. The Latin word viridis means green. The plant is native to the midwestern, south central and southeastern United States, as well as to the southeastern portion of the western United States.
- It belongs to the Apocynaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 18 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Mississippi. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. iNaturalist
- In Oklahoma, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 21,579 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #13 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,703 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #1 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,683 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #1 among the 109 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist
Green antelopehorns gift ideas
Handmade green antelopehorns gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Green antelopehorns art print
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Green antelopehorns greeting card
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Green antelopehorns mug
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Green antelopehorns earrings
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Green antelopehorns embroidery pattern
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Green antelopehorns sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 5 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Native | April–September | 21,579 |
| Oklahoma | Native | April–July | 2,703 |
| Kansas | Native | April–June | 1,683 |
| Arkansas | Native | April–September | 727 |
| Mississippi | Native | April–August | 444 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Texas
- Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
- Oklahoma
- No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
- Kansas
- No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
- Arkansas
- No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IN (S1), SC (SX), WV (SH). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: flowers, leaves, stems. Symptoms they list: “Can cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weakness, lethargy, and confusion if eaten in quantity. Milky sap can cause contact dermatitis and eye irritation.” NC State Extension
ASPCA's entry “Milkweed” (Asclepias species), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Vomiting, profound depression, weakness, anorexia, and diarrhea are common; may be followed by seizures, difficulty breathing, rapid, weak pulse, dilated pupils, kidney or liver failure, coma… ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records green antelopehorns in 18 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia.
Texas counties with USDA records: Aransas, Bastrop, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Chambers, Clay, Collin, Comal, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Fayette, Fort Bend, Freestone, Galveston, Gillespie, Gonzales, Grayson, Grimes, Harris, Hays, Hill, Hopkins, Hunt, Jackson, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Johnson, Kaufman, Kendall, Kerr, Lamar, Lampasas, Lavaca, Leon, Matagorda, McLennan, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Polk, Red River, Refugio, Sabine, San Jacinto, Tarrant, Titus, Travis, Tyler, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Washington, Wharton, Wichita, Williamson, Wise, Wood.
Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Comanche, Cotton, Creek, Custer, Garfield, Grady, Grant, Haskell, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Latimer, Le Flore, Logan, Marshall, McClain, Murray, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Osage, Ottawa, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Washington, Woods.
Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Franklin, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rush, Russell, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Stafford, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ASVI2.
- iNaturalist, Asclepias viridis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Asclepias viridis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
- Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Asclepias viridis (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
- Photo: evangrimes via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.