Milkweed and monarchs in December
Counting, and starting again
Where the monarchs are
Both populations are settled at their overwintering sites. The WWF survey of the area occupied by the Mexican colonies, and the Western Monarch Count, together give the annual population figures that everything else is measured against.
What to do this month
- Order seed for next year, especially anything rare or regional.
- Begin stratification for an early indoor sowing.
- Sow outdoors in the South and Southwest.
- Read the annual counts when they are published, and plant accordingly.
What to look for
- Frost on standing stems and seed heads.
- Goldfinches and chickadees working old pods for floss and seed.
North and south
Nothing grows in the North this month. In the desert Southwest, whitestem milkweed is coming into flower.
In flower in December
4 species can be in flower somewhere in the country this month. Natives are listed first.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush Milkweed | In bloom in January | In bloom in February | In bloom in March | Peak bloom in April | Peak bloom in May | In bloom in June | In bloom in July | In bloom in August | Peak bloom in September | Peak bloom in October | In bloom in November | In bloom in December |
| Whitestem Milkweed | In bloom in January | Peak bloom in February | Peak bloom in March | Peak bloom in April | In bloom in May | Not in bloom in June | Not in bloom in July | Not in bloom in August | Not in bloom in September | Not in bloom in October | In bloom in November | In bloom in December |
| Giant Milkweed introduced | In bloom in January | In bloom in February | Peak bloom in March | Peak bloom in April | In bloom in May | In bloom in June | In bloom in July | In bloom in August | In bloom in September | Peak bloom in October | In bloom in November | In bloom in December |
| Tropical Milkweed introduced | In bloom in January | In bloom in February | In bloom in March | In bloom in April | In bloom in May | Peak bloom in June | Peak bloom in July | Peak bloom in August | Peak bloom in September | In bloom in October | In bloom in November | In bloom in December |
in bloom peak bloom
December questions
What milkweed blooms in December?
4 milkweed species can be in flower somewhere in the United States during December. Bloom times shift several weeks later as you move north.
What are monarch butterflies doing in December?
Both populations are settled at their overwintering sites. The WWF survey of the area occupied by the Mexican colonies, and the Western Monarch Count, together give the annual population figures that everything else is measured against.
What should I do in the milkweed garden in December?
Order seed for next year, especially anything rare or regional. Begin stratification for an early indoor sowing. Sow outdoors in the South and Southwest.
Cite this page
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Milkweed USA. (2026). Milkweed and monarchs in December. Retrieved DATE, from https://milkweedusa.com/calendar/december/
"Milkweed and monarchs in December." Milkweed USA, 2026, https://milkweedusa.com/calendar/december/. Accessed DATE.
Milkweed USA. "Milkweed and monarchs in December." Last modified 2026-08-01. Accessed DATE. https://milkweedusa.com/calendar/december/.
@misc{milkweedusa_calendardecember,
title = {Milkweed and monarchs in December},
author = {{Milkweed USA}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://milkweedusa.com/calendar/december/},
note = {Accessed DATE}
}