Milkweed in North Carolina
North Carolina’s longleaf pine savannas hold specialist milkweeds, among them Carolina, largeflower, Michaux’s and fewflower, that occur almost nowhere else, while the mountains support poke and white milkweed. Prescribed fire is essential to keeping these coastal plain species alive.
The best milkweed to plant in North Carolina
Native to the state, garden-worthy and useful to monarchs. Start here if you are planting rather than identifying.
All milkweed species in North Carolina
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Tropical Milkweed Asclepias curassavica |
2 ft–4 ft | red, orange, yellow | nearly year-round in frost-free areas | Average | |
| 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 |
Not native but naturalised here: Tropical Milkweed. Frost kills it annually here, so it behaves as an annual.
Planting milkweed in North Carolina
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.
North Carolina spans USDA zones 5b–8b, 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 North Carolina
Start with North Carolina 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 North Carolina: common questions
What milkweed is native to North Carolina?
18 milkweed species are recorded in North Carolina, 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 North Carolina?
Swamp Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Purple Milkweed are the best combination of native, available and garden-worthy for North Carolina. Swamp Milkweed is the easiest to start with.
When should I plant milkweed seed in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina?
Yes. 19 species occur in North Carolina, typically on roadsides, field margins, prairie remnants and along watercourses. North Carolina’s longleaf pine savannas hold specialist milkweeds, among them Carolina, largeflower, Michaux’s and fewflower, that occur almost nowhere else, while the mountains support poke and white milkweed.
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Milkweed USA. (2026). Milkweed in North Carolina. Retrieved DATE, from https://milkweedusa.com/states/north-carolina/
"Milkweed in North Carolina." Milkweed USA, 2026, https://milkweedusa.com/states/north-carolina/. Accessed DATE.
Milkweed USA. "Milkweed in North Carolina." Last modified 2026-08-01. Accessed DATE. https://milkweedusa.com/states/north-carolina/.
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}