Flower profile

Redring milkweed

Asclepias variegata

Redring milkweed (Asclepias variegata) is a flowering plant in the Apocynaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–June across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Redring milkweed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.

24states where USDA records it

3Bloomipedia state lists include it

7,139U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi

Quick look

Asclepias variegata, commonly called the redring milkweed or white milkweed, is a plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to eastern North America, where it is found in Canada and the United States. It is most common in the Southeastern United States, and becomes rare in the northern edge of its range.
From Wikipedia's article Asclepias variegata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Apocynaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 24 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi. ^NatureServe
In Arkansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
In Alabama, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 951 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #41 among the 170 flowers on our Arkansas list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 849 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #66 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 388 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #66 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,020 records)

Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Arkansas	Native	May–June	951
Alabama	Native	May	849
Mississippi	Native	May	388

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Arkansas: No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CT (SH), DE (S2), NJ (SH), NY (S1), PA (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: flowers, leaves, sap/juice, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “Can cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weakness, lethargy, and confusion if eaten in quantity. Milky sap can cause contact dermatitis and eye irritation.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Milkweed” (Asclepias species), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Vomiting, profound depression, weakness, anorexia, and diarrhea are common; may be followed by seizures, difficulty breathing, rapid, weak pulse, dilated pupils, kidney or liver failure, coma… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records redring milkweed in 24 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Arkansas counties with USDA records: Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clark, Clay, Cleburne, Cleveland, Conway, Craighead, Dallas, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Garland, Grant, Greene, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Logan, Mississippi, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Sharp, St. Francis, Stone, Union.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Franklin, Henry, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marion, Marshall, Pickens, Russell, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Wilcox.

Mississippi counties with USDA records: Adams, Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Covington, DeSoto, Forrest, Greene, Grenada, Jasper, Lafayette, Lauderdale, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, Marshall, Monroe, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Panola, Perry, Pike, Pontotoc, Scott, Smith, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, Wayne, Webster, Wilkinson, Winston.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Biventraria variegata.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 574 counties across 22 states; the most are in Virginia (63), North Carolina (62), Tennessee (53).

Other Asclepias on Bloomipedia (16): Common milkweed, Butterfly milkweed, Swamp milkweed, Green antelopehorns, Antelopehorn milkweed, Showy milkweed, Narrowleaf milkweed, Green comet milkweed, Zizotes milkweed, Tropical milkweed.

More from the Apocynaceae family (28 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lesser periwinkle, Greater periwinkle, Spreading dogbane, Pearl milkweed, Madagascar periwinkle, Honey-vine climbing milkweed, Hartweg's climbing milkweed, Oleander.

More Arkansas flowers

Butterfly milkweed

Asclepias tuberosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in AR: May–July

Green antelopehorns

Asclepias viridis

Native

🌼 Blooms in AR: April–July

Virginia springbeauty

Claytonia virginica

Native

🌼 Blooms in AR: March–April

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ASVA.
iNaturalist, Asclepias variegata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Asclepias variegata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Asclepias variegata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Laura Clark via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.