Milkweed in Nevada
Nevada’s milkweeds cluster around water, with showy and narrowleaf milkweed along rivers, springs and irrigated valleys, and desert and rush milkweed in the southern Mojave. Pallid milkweed on Great Basin clay barrens is the state’s botanical prize.
The best milkweed to plant in Nevada
Native to the state, garden-worthy and useful to monarchs. Start here if you are planting rather than identifying.
All milkweed species in Nevada
| Species | Height | Flower | Bloom | Soil | Monarch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Showy Milkweed Asclepias speciosa |
2 ft–5 ft | pink, rose | May to August | Average / Dry | |
| Narrowleaf Milkweed Asclepias fascicularis |
2 ft–4 ft | white, pink, green | May to September | Dry / Average | |
| Heartleaf Milkweed Asclepias cordifolia |
1 ft–3 ft | maroon, purple | May to July | Dry | |
| Antelope Horns Asclepias asperula |
1 ft–2 ft | green, cream, maroon | March to July | Dry | |
| Rush Milkweed Asclepias subulata |
2 ft–6 ft | cream, white | nearly year-round in frost-free areas | Dry | |
| Hall’s Milkweed Asclepias hallii |
1.5 ft–3 ft | pink, mauve | June to August | Dry | |
| Woollypod Milkweed Asclepias eriocarpa |
2 ft–4 ft | cream, white | May to August | Dry | |
| Desert Milkweed Asclepias erosa |
2 ft–5 ft | cream, yellow | April to September | Dry | |
| Broadleaf Milkweed Asclepias latifolia |
1 ft–3 ft | green, cream | May to August | Dry | |
| Whitestem Milkweed Asclepias albicans |
3 ft–10 ft | cream, white | January to May and November to December | Dry | |
| Woolly Milkweed Asclepias vestita |
1 ft–3 ft | cream, yellow | April to July | Dry | |
| Poison Milkweed Asclepias subverticillata |
1 ft–3 ft | white, green | June to September | Dry | |
| Pallid Milkweed Asclepias cryptoceras |
4 in–1 ft | cream, pink | April to June | Dry | |
| Mojave Milkweed Asclepias nyctaginifolia |
6 in–1.5 ft | green, cream | April to June | Dry | |
| Dwarf Milkweed Asclepias involucrata |
4 in–10 in | green, cream | April to June | Dry | |
| Ruth’s Milkweed Asclepias ruthiae |
4 in–1 ft | pink, cream | April to June | Dry | |
| Wheel Milkweed Asclepias uncialis |
2 in–6 in | maroon, green | April to June | Dry | |
| Eastwood’s Milkweed Asclepias eastwoodiana |
6 in–1.2 ft | maroon, cream | May to June | Dry |
Rare or protected in part of this range: Wheel Milkweed, Eastwood’s Milkweed. Do not collect seed or plants from wild populations of these species.
Planting milkweed in Nevada
Sow seed outdoors in September to November, before the ground freezes. 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.
Nevada spans USDA zones 4a–9b, 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 Nevada
Start with Nevada 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 mountain west
Non-profit running a native plant nursery and demonstration gardens on the Colorado Front Range.
Independent Intermountain West 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 native seed producer for the eastern and central states.
Family-run Texas seed house focused on regional ecotypes.
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 Nevada: common questions
What milkweed is native to Nevada?
18 milkweed species are recorded in Nevada, including Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), Narrowleaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis), Heartleaf Milkweed (Asclepias cordifolia), Antelope Horns (Asclepias asperula). The full list is on this page.
What is the best milkweed to plant in Nevada?
Showy Milkweed, Narrowleaf Milkweed, Heartleaf Milkweed are the best combination of native, available and garden-worthy for Nevada. Showy Milkweed is the easiest to start with.
When should I plant milkweed seed in Nevada?
Sow outdoors in September to November, before the ground freezes, 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 Nevada?
Yes. 18 species occur in Nevada, typically on roadsides, field margins, prairie remnants and along watercourses. Nevada’s milkweeds cluster around water, with showy and narrowleaf milkweed along rivers, springs and irrigated valleys, and desert and rush milkweed in the southern Mojave.
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Milkweed USA. (2026). Milkweed in Nevada. Retrieved DATE, from https://milkweedusa.com/states/nevada/
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Milkweed USA. "Milkweed in Nevada." Last modified 2026-08-01. Accessed DATE. https://milkweedusa.com/states/nevada/.
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url = {https://milkweedusa.com/states/nevada/},
note = {Accessed DATE}
}