# Milkweed in Michigan

> 13 milkweed species are recorded in Michigan.

Source: https://milkweedusa.com/states/michigan/  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Milkweed USA)

## Overview

Michigan’s dune systems, oak savanna and old fields support a wide milkweed flora, and the state is a major staging area for fall monarch migration along both peninsulas’ shorelines. Fourleaf and poke milkweed occupy the state’s hardwood forests.

- Species recorded: 13
- USDA hardiness zones: 4a–6b
- Monarch flyway: eastern
- Best time to sow seed outdoors: late October to early December

## Species recorded in Michigan

| Common name | Scientific name | Native | Height | Bloom |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Swamp Milkweed | Asclepias incarnata | Yes | 3 ft–5 ft | June to September |
| Butterfly Weed | Asclepias tuberosa | Yes | 1 ft–3 ft | May to September |
| Prairie Milkweed | Asclepias sullivantii | Yes | 2 ft–4 ft | June to July |
| Purple Milkweed | Asclepias purpurascens | Yes | 2 ft–4 ft | May to July |
| Poke Milkweed | Asclepias exaltata | Yes | 3 ft–6 ft | June to July |
| Common Milkweed | Asclepias syriaca | Yes | 3 ft–6 ft | June to August |
| Whorled Milkweed | Asclepias verticillata | Yes | 1 ft–2.5 ft | June to September |
| Clasping Milkweed | Asclepias amplexicaulis | Yes | 1.5 ft–3 ft | May to July |
| Fourleaf Milkweed | Asclepias quadrifolia | Yes | 1 ft–2 ft | May to June |
| Oval-leaf Milkweed | Asclepias ovalifolia | Yes | 8 in–1.7 ft | June to July |
| Green Comet Milkweed | Asclepias viridiflora | Yes | 1 ft–3 ft | May to August |
| Tall Green Milkweed | Asclepias hirtella | Yes | 2 ft–4 ft | June to August |
| Woolly Milkweed | Asclepias lanuginosa | Yes | 4 in–1 ft | May to June |

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Milkweed in Michigan. https://milkweedusa.com/states/michigan/