Milkweed and monarchs in October
Sowing month
Where the monarchs are
Migration reaches Texas and northern Mexico, and the first monarchs arrive at the overwintering sites. Western monarchs gather in the California coastal groves.
What to do this month
- Sow seed outdoors. This is the single best thing you can do all year: winter supplies the stratification for free.
- Winter-sow in milk jugs if you want the seedlings contained.
- In zones 9 and warmer, cut tropical milkweed to the ground and keep it cut until March.
- Still do not tidy the borders.
What to look for
- The last monarchs of the year heading south.
- Milkweed foliage turning yellow and collapsing.
- Empty pods, which are the easiest way to find milkweed to note for next year.
North and south
In the South, October is a planting month for plugs as well as seed. In the North, get seed down before the ground freezes.
In flower in October
6 species can be in flower somewhere in the country this month, 2 of them at peak. 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 |
| Zizotes Milkweed | Not in bloom in January | Not 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 | In bloom in October | Not in bloom in November | Not in bloom in December |
| Pineneedle Milkweed | Not in bloom in January | Not 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 | In bloom in October | Not in bloom in November | Not 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 |
| Balloon Plant introduced | Not in bloom in January | Not in bloom in February | Not in bloom in March | Not in bloom in April | In bloom in May | In bloom in June | Peak bloom in July | Peak bloom in August | In bloom in September | In bloom in October | Not in bloom in November | Not 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
October questions
What milkweed blooms in October?
6 milkweed species can be in flower somewhere in the United States during October, with Rush Milkweed, Giant Milkweed at peak. Bloom times shift several weeks later as you move north.
What are monarch butterflies doing in October?
Migration reaches Texas and northern Mexico, and the first monarchs arrive at the overwintering sites. Western monarchs gather in the California coastal groves.
What should I do in the milkweed garden in October?
Sow seed outdoors. This is the single best thing you can do all year: winter supplies the stratification for free. Winter-sow in milk jugs if you want the seedlings contained. In zones 9 and warmer, cut tropical milkweed to the ground and keep it cut until March.
Cite this page
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Milkweed USA. (2026). Milkweed and monarchs in October. Retrieved DATE, from https://milkweedusa.com/calendar/october/
"Milkweed and monarchs in October." Milkweed USA, 2026, https://milkweedusa.com/calendar/october/. Accessed DATE.
Milkweed USA. "Milkweed and monarchs in October." Last modified 2026-08-01. Accessed DATE. https://milkweedusa.com/calendar/october/.
@misc{milkweedusa_calendaroctober,
title = {Milkweed and monarchs in October},
author = {{Milkweed USA}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://milkweedusa.com/calendar/october/},
note = {Accessed DATE}
}