# Milkweed in North Carolina

> 19 milkweed species are recorded in North Carolina.

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

## Overview

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.

- Species recorded: 19
- USDA hardiness zones: 5b–8b
- Monarch flyway: eastern
- Best time to sow seed outdoors: November to January

## Species recorded in North Carolina

| 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 |
| Purple Milkweed | Asclepias purpurascens | Yes | 2 ft–4 ft | May to July |
| Poke Milkweed | Asclepias exaltata | Yes | 3 ft–6 ft | June to July |
| Aquatic Milkweed | Asclepias perennis | Yes | 1 ft–3 ft | May to September |
| Pinewoods Milkweed | Asclepias humistrata | Yes | 8 in–2 ft | March to June |
| 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 |
| White Milkweed | Asclepias variegata | Yes | 1.5 ft–3.5 ft | May to July |
| Fewflower Milkweed | Asclepias lanceolata | Yes | 2 ft–5 ft | May to August |
| Green Comet Milkweed | Asclepias viridiflora | Yes | 1 ft–3 ft | May to August |
| Red Milkweed | Asclepias rubra | Yes | 2 ft–4 ft | June to July |
| Tropical Milkweed | Asclepias curassavica | No | 2 ft–4 ft | nearly year-round in frost-free areas |
| Carolina Milkweed | Asclepias cinerea | Yes | 1 ft–2.5 ft | May to August |
| Michaux’s Milkweed | Asclepias michauxii | Yes | 8 in–1.7 ft | April to July |
| Largeflower Milkweed | Asclepias connivens | Yes | 1 ft–2.5 ft | May to August |
| Longleaf Milkweed | Asclepias longifolia | Yes | 1 ft–2.5 ft | April to July |

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Milkweed in North Carolina. https://milkweedusa.com/states/north-carolina/