Milkweed in New Mexico
New Mexico may hold more milkweed species than any other state, with antelope horns and broadleaf milkweed on the plains, pineneedle and bract milkweed in the Chihuahuan Desert, and showy milkweed along the Rio Grande. The state sits on the boundary between eastern and western monarch flyways.
The best milkweed to plant in New Mexico
Native to the state, garden-worthy and useful to monarchs. Start here if you are planting rather than identifying.
All milkweed species in New Mexico
| 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 | |
| Showy Milkweed Asclepias speciosa |
2 ft–5 ft | pink, rose | May to August | Average / Dry | |
| Antelope Horns Asclepias asperula |
1 ft–2 ft | green, cream, maroon | March to July | Dry | |
| Green Antelopehorn Asclepias viridis |
1 ft–2.5 ft | green, purple | April to July | Dry / Average | |
| Zizotes Milkweed Asclepias oenotheroides |
8 in–2 ft | green, cream | March to October | Dry / Average | |
| Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillata |
1 ft–2.5 ft | white, green | June to September | Dry / Average | |
| Hall’s Milkweed Asclepias hallii |
1.5 ft–3 ft | pink, mauve | June to August | Dry | |
| Pineneedle Milkweed Asclepias linaria |
1.5 ft–4 ft | white, cream | March to October | Dry | |
| Texas Milkweed Asclepias texana |
1 ft–3 ft | white | May to September | Dry / Average | |
| Green Comet Milkweed Asclepias viridiflora |
1 ft–3 ft | green | May to August | Dry | |
| Broadleaf Milkweed Asclepias latifolia |
1 ft–3 ft | green, cream | May to August | Dry | |
| Sand Milkweed Asclepias arenaria |
1 ft–2.5 ft | cream, green | June to August | Dry | |
| Mahogany Milkweed Asclepias hypoleuca |
1 ft–2.5 ft | maroon, cream | June to September | Dry | |
| Nodding Milkweed Asclepias glaucescens |
1 ft–3 ft | green, white | June to September | Dry / Average | |
| Plains Milkweed Asclepias pumila |
4 in–1 ft | white, cream | June to September | Dry | |
| Engelmann’s Milkweed Asclepias engelmanniana |
2 ft–5 ft | green, yellow | June to August | Dry | |
| Slimleaf Milkweed Asclepias stenophylla |
1.5 ft–3.3 ft | cream, green | June to August | Dry | |
| Bract Milkweed Asclepias brachystephana |
6 in–1.5 ft | maroon, purple | April to August | Dry | |
| Rusby’s Milkweed Asclepias rusbyi |
1 ft–2.5 ft | green, white | May to August | 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 | |
| Emory’s Milkweed Asclepias emoryi |
4 in–1.2 ft | green, cream | April to September | Dry | |
| Dwarf Milkweed Asclepias involucrata |
4 in–10 in | green, cream | April to June | Dry | |
| Longhood Milkweed Asclepias macrotis |
8 in–1.7 ft | green, cream | April to August | Dry | |
| Lemmon’s Milkweed Asclepias lemmonii |
8 in–2 ft | green, purple | July to September | Dry / Average | |
| Slimpod Milkweed Asclepias quinquedentata |
1 ft–2.5 ft | cream, green | July to September | Dry | |
| Wheel Milkweed Asclepias uncialis |
2 in–6 in | maroon, green | April to June | Dry |
Rare or protected in part of this range: Wheel Milkweed. Do not collect seed or plants from wild populations of these species.
Planting milkweed in New Mexico
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.
New Mexico spans USDA zones 4a–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 New Mexico
Start with Native Plant Society of New Mexico. 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.
In New Mexico
Independent nursery and seed house for the arid Southwest.
Elsewhere in the southwest
Family-run Texas seed house focused on regional ecotypes.
Non-profit native plant program in the Arizona sky islands.
Independent Tucson nursery specializing in Sonoran Desert natives.
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.
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 New Mexico: common questions
What milkweed is native to New Mexico?
29 milkweed species are recorded in New Mexico, including Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), Antelope Horns (Asclepias asperula). The full list is on this page.
What is the best milkweed to plant in New Mexico?
Swamp Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Showy Milkweed are the best combination of native, available and garden-worthy for New Mexico. Swamp Milkweed is the easiest to start with.
When should I plant milkweed seed in New Mexico?
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 New Mexico?
Yes. 29 species occur in New Mexico, typically on roadsides, field margins, prairie remnants and along watercourses. New Mexico may hold more milkweed species than any other state, with antelope horns and broadleaf milkweed on the plains, pineneedle and bract milkweed in the Chihuahuan Desert, and showy milkweed along the Rio Grande.
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Milkweed USA. (2026). Milkweed in New Mexico. Retrieved DATE, from https://milkweedusa.com/states/new-mexico/
"Milkweed in New Mexico." Milkweed USA, 2026, https://milkweedusa.com/states/new-mexico/. Accessed DATE.
Milkweed USA. "Milkweed in New Mexico." Last modified 2026-08-01. Accessed DATE. https://milkweedusa.com/states/new-mexico/.
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