Milkweed in Georgia
Georgia’s sandhills, coastal plain savannas and Piedmont woodlands support more than a dozen milkweed species, with pinewoods milkweed feeding the earliest spring monarchs moving north through the state. Prescribed burning drives the health of most of them.
The best milkweed to plant in Georgia
Native to the state, garden-worthy and useful to monarchs. Start here if you are planting rather than identifying.
All milkweed species in Georgia
| Species | Height | Flower | Bloom | Soil | Monarch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata |
3 ft–5 ft | pink, rose, white | June to September | Wet / Average | |
| Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa |
1 ft–3 ft | orange, yellow, red | May to September | Dry / Average | |
| Purple Milkweed Asclepias purpurascens |
2 ft–4 ft | purple, magenta | May to July | Average / Dry | |
| Poke Milkweed Asclepias exaltata |
3 ft–6 ft | white, green | June to July | Average | |
| Green Antelopehorn Asclepias viridis |
1 ft–2.5 ft | green, purple | April to July | Dry / Average | |
| Aquatic Milkweed Asclepias perennis |
1 ft–3 ft | white, pink | May to September | Wet | |
| Pinewoods Milkweed Asclepias humistrata |
8 in–2 ft | pink, white | March to June | Dry | |
| Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca |
3 ft–6 ft | pink, mauve, white | June to August | Dry / Average | |
| Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillata |
1 ft–2.5 ft | white, green | June to September | Dry / Average | |
| Clasping Milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis |
1.5 ft–3 ft | pink, green, mauve | May to July | Dry | |
| Fourleaf Milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia |
1 ft–2 ft | pink, white | May to June | Dry / Average | |
| White Milkweed Asclepias variegata |
1.5 ft–3.5 ft | white | May to July | Dry / Average | |
| Fewflower Milkweed Asclepias lanceolata |
2 ft–5 ft | orange, red | May to August | Wet | |
| Green Comet Milkweed Asclepias viridiflora |
1 ft–3 ft | green | May to August | Dry | |
| Red Milkweed Asclepias rubra |
2 ft–4 ft | red, pink | June to July | Wet | |
| Balloon Plant Gomphocarpus physocarpus |
3 ft–6 ft | white, cream | May to October | Average | |
| Tropical Milkweed Asclepias curassavica |
2 ft–4 ft | red, orange, yellow | nearly year-round in frost-free areas | Average | |
| Velvetleaf Milkweed Asclepias tomentosa |
1 ft–2.5 ft | green, cream | April to July | Dry | |
| Pineland Milkweed Asclepias obovata |
1 ft–2.5 ft | green, yellow | June to August | Dry | |
| Carolina Milkweed Asclepias cinerea |
1 ft–2.5 ft | mauve, gray | May to August | Dry | |
| Michaux’s Milkweed Asclepias michauxii |
8 in–1.7 ft | pink, green | April to July | Dry / Average | |
| Largeflower Milkweed Asclepias connivens |
1 ft–2.5 ft | green, white | May to August | Wet / Average | |
| Longleaf Milkweed Asclepias longifolia |
1 ft–2.5 ft | green, purple, white | April to July | Wet / Average | |
| Savannah Milkweed Asclepias pedicellata |
6 in–1.5 ft | yellow, green | April to September | Wet / Average | |
| Southern Milkweed Asclepias viridula |
1 ft–2.5 ft | green, white | May to August | Wet |
Rare or protected in part of this range: Southern Milkweed. Do not collect seed or plants from wild populations of these species.
Not native but naturalised here: Balloon Plant, Tropical Milkweed. Because Georgia has mild winters, tropical milkweed can sustain year-round monarch breeding and raise OE parasite loads, so plant a native instead.
Planting milkweed in Georgia
Sow seed outdoors in November to January. Winter then supplies the cold-moist stratification most milkweed seed needs, and germination happens naturally as the soil warms. If you have missed that window, chill seed in the refrigerator for 30 days and sow after your last frost. The full method is here.
Georgia spans USDA zones 6a–9a, so check the zone range on each species page before committing. Match the species to your site rather than the other way round: dry, sunny and poor suits butterfly weed and the whorled species; a damp spot suits swamp milkweed; shade suits very few milkweeds at all.
Plant at least ten stems in one group rather than scattering them, because female monarchs find dense patches far more readily. Add late-season nectar such as goldenrod and asters so the fall migratory generation has fuel as well as host plants. How to lay out a monarch garden.
Where to buy milkweed in Georgia
Start with Georgia Native Plant Society. State native plant societies run the plant sales worth going to: locally grown, untreated stock, at a few dollars a plant, sold by people who can tell you where to put it.
Elsewhere in the southeast
Family-run native seed producer for the eastern and central states.
Non-profit nursery growing local-ecotype natives for the Potomac region.
Independent Gulf Coast Florida native nursery.
Independent north Florida mail-order native nursery.
Long-running independent southeastern native plant nursery.
Independent Tennessee native plant nursery.
Ships to you
One of the widest milkweed seed and bare-root ranges anywhere, with germination codes listed for every species.
Long-established independent nursery specializing in Midwestern natives.
Independent seed producer supplying restoration-scale native seed by the pound.
Family-run Texas seed house focused on regional ecotypes.
Independent nursery growing Missouri-provenance natives.
These favor independent nurseries and non-profits over chain garden centers, which mostly stock unlabeled tropical milkweed and often cannot tell you whether it has been treated with neonicotinoids. Search the full directory by ZIP code.
Milkweed in Georgia: common questions
What milkweed is native to Georgia?
23 milkweed species are recorded in Georgia, including Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens), Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata). The full list is on this page.
What is the best milkweed to plant in Georgia?
Swamp Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Purple Milkweed are the best combination of native, available and garden-worthy for Georgia. Swamp Milkweed is the easiest to start with.
When should I plant milkweed seed in Georgia?
Sow outdoors in November to January, so winter provides the cold stratification the seed needs. If you have missed that window, stratify seed in the refrigerator for 30 days and sow in spring after the last frost.
Does milkweed grow wild in Georgia?
Yes. 25 species occur in Georgia, typically on roadsides, field margins, prairie remnants and along watercourses. Georgia’s sandhills, coastal plain savannas and Piedmont woodlands support more than a dozen milkweed species, with pinewoods milkweed feeding the earliest spring monarchs moving north through the state.
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Milkweed USA. (2026). Milkweed in Georgia. Retrieved DATE, from https://milkweedusa.com/states/georgia/
"Milkweed in Georgia." Milkweed USA, 2026, https://milkweedusa.com/states/georgia/. Accessed DATE.
Milkweed USA. "Milkweed in Georgia." Last modified 2026-08-01. Accessed DATE. https://milkweedusa.com/states/georgia/.
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note = {Accessed DATE}
}