# Milkweed in North Dakota

> 10 milkweed species are recorded in North Dakota.

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

## Overview

North Dakota produces an outsized share of the eastern monarch population relative to its size, with common and showy milkweed abundant in Conservation Reserve Program grassland and prairie potholes. Oval-leaf milkweed occupies sandy prairie in the eastern counties.

- Species recorded: 10
- USDA hardiness zones: 3a–4b
- Monarch flyway: eastern
- Best time to sow seed outdoors: October to November

## Species recorded in North Dakota

| 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 |
| Showy Milkweed | Asclepias speciosa | Yes | 2 ft–5 ft | May to August |
| Prairie Milkweed | Asclepias sullivantii | Yes | 2 ft–4 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 |
| 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 |
| Plains Milkweed | Asclepias pumila | Yes | 4 in–1 ft | June to September |
| Woolly Milkweed | Asclepias lanuginosa | Yes | 4 in–1 ft | May to June |

## How to cite

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