# Milkweed in West Virginia

> 10 milkweed species are recorded in West Virginia.

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

## Overview

Steep and heavily forested, West Virginia’s milkweed lives on reclaimed mine land, ridgetop pasture and woodland edge. Poke, fourleaf and white milkweed are all genuinely at home in the state’s Appalachian forests.

- Species recorded: 10
- USDA hardiness zones: 5a–7a
- Monarch flyway: eastern
- Best time to sow seed outdoors: November to January

## Species recorded in West Virginia

| 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 |
| White Milkweed | Asclepias variegata | Yes | 1.5 ft–3.5 ft | May to July |
| Green Comet Milkweed | Asclepias viridiflora | Yes | 1 ft–3 ft | May to August |

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Milkweed in West Virginia. https://milkweedusa.com/states/west-virginia/