# Milkweed in Rhode Island

> 8 milkweed species are recorded in Rhode Island.

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

## Overview

Small but well supplied: Rhode Island’s coastal grasslands and old fields carry common, swamp and butterfly milkweed, with clasping milkweed on the sandy south coast. Roadside mowing timing is the key management question in a state this densely settled.

- Species recorded: 8
- USDA hardiness zones: 5b–7a
- Monarch flyway: eastern
- Best time to sow seed outdoors: late October to early December

## Species recorded in Rhode Island

| 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 |
| 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 |

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Milkweed in Rhode Island. https://milkweedusa.com/states/rhode-island/