MilkweedUSA

Milkweed by state

Pick a state for its native milkweed species, the best ones to plant there, and a local sowing calendar. Darker states hold more species.

Alaska: 0 species AK Maine: 5 species ME Vermont: 7 species VT New Hampshire: 8 species NH Washington: 3 species WA Idaho: 3 species ID Montana: 8 species MT North Dakota: 10 species ND Minnesota: 13 species MN Illinois: 17 species IL Wisconsin: 13 species WI Michigan: 13 species MI New York: 11 species NY Massachusetts: 8 species MA Rhode Island: 8 species RI Oregon: 4 species OR Nevada: 18 species NV Wyoming: 14 species WY South Dakota: 12 species SD Iowa: 16 species IA Indiana: 14 species IN Ohio: 12 species OH Pennsylvania: 11 species PA New Jersey: 13 species NJ Connecticut: 11 species CT California: 14 species CA Utah: 18 species UT Colorado: 19 species CO Nebraska: 20 species NE Missouri: 17 species MO Kentucky: 15 species KY West Virginia: 10 species WV Virginia: 14 species VA Maryland: 13 species MD Delaware: 13 species DE Arizona: 31 species AZ New Mexico: 29 species NM Kansas: 24 species KS Arkansas: 14 species AR Tennessee: 14 species TN North Carolina: 19 species NC South Carolina: 23 species SC District of Columbia: 9 species DC Texas: 35 species TX Oklahoma: 23 species OK Louisiana: 19 species LA Mississippi: 20 species MS Alabama: 24 species AL Georgia: 25 species GA Hawaii: 3 species HI Florida: 24 species FL
Fewer speciesMore species
Darker states hold more species. Select any state for its full list and a local sowing calendar.

Every state

StateSpeciesMonarch flywayZones
Alabama 24 Eastern 7a–9a
Alaska 0 None 1–8
Arizona 31 Western 4b–10b
Arkansas 14 Eastern 6a–8b
California 14 Western 5a–11a
Colorado 19 Eastern & western 3a–7a
Connecticut 11 Eastern 5b–7a
Delaware 13 Eastern 7a–7b
District of Columbia 9 Eastern 7a–8a
Florida 24 Eastern 8a–11a
Georgia 25 Eastern 6a–9a
Hawaii 3 None 9a–13a
Idaho 3 Western 3a–7a
Illinois 17 Eastern 5a–7a
Indiana 14 Eastern 5b–7a
Iowa 16 Eastern 4b–6a
Kansas 24 Eastern 5a–7a
Kentucky 15 Eastern 6a–7a
Louisiana 19 Eastern 8a–10a
Maine 5 Eastern 3b–6a
Maryland 13 Eastern 5b–8a
Massachusetts 8 Eastern 5a–7b
Michigan 13 Eastern 4a–6b
Minnesota 13 Eastern 3a–5a
Mississippi 20 Eastern 7b–9a
Missouri 17 Eastern 5b–7a
Montana 8 Eastern & western 3a–6a
Nebraska 20 Eastern 4a–6a
Nevada 18 Western 4a–9b
New Hampshire 8 Eastern 3b–6a
New Jersey 13 Eastern 6a–7b
New Mexico 29 Eastern & western 4a–9a
New York 11 Eastern 3b–7b
North Carolina 19 Eastern 5b–8b
North Dakota 10 Eastern 3a–4b
Ohio 12 Eastern 5b–6b
Oklahoma 23 Eastern 6a–8a
Oregon 4 Western 4a–9b
Pennsylvania 11 Eastern 5a–7b
Rhode Island 8 Eastern 5b–7a
South Carolina 23 Eastern 7a–9a
South Dakota 12 Eastern 3b–5b
Tennessee 14 Eastern 5b–8a
Texas 35 Eastern & western 6a–10a
Utah 18 Western 4a–9a
Vermont 7 Eastern 3b–5b
Virginia 14 Eastern 5a–8a
Washington 3 Western 4a–9a
West Virginia 10 Eastern 5a–7a
Wisconsin 13 Eastern 3b–5b
Wyoming 14 Eastern & western 2b–6a

Where milkweed diversity is highest

Across the fifty states and the District of Columbia there are 741 state-level species records among the 72 species profiled here. Diversity peaks in the arid Southwest, where the genus has radiated into desert, grassland and canyon habitats.

  1. Texas, 35 species
  2. Arizona, 31 species
  3. New Mexico, 29 species
  4. Georgia, 25 species
  5. Kansas, 24 species
  6. Alabama, 24 species
  7. Florida, 24 species
  8. South Carolina, 23 species

At the other extreme, Alaska has no native milkweed at all and Hawaii’s monarchs live on introduced species.