Zone 8 · winter lows 10°F to 20°F
Asclepias for Zone 8
16 Asclepias varieties rated hardy through Zone 8, ranked by how many gardeners actually grow them. Zone 8 is mild winters open the door to broadleaf evergreens and early bloom.
The Asclepias that thrive in Zone 8
#1 most savedButterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
#2 most savedHello Yellow Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow'
#3 most savedButterfly Milkweed
Asclepias x hybrida

Gay Butterflies Mix Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies Mix'

Butterfly Garden Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Deluxe Butterfly Garden'

Butterfly Weed Gay Butterflies Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies'

Cinderella Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella'

Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca

Narrowleaf milkweed
Asclepias fascicularis

Swamp Milkweed Ice Ballet
Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet'

Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa

Whorled Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata

Pineneedle Milkweed
Asclepias linaria

Family Jewels Milkweed
Asclepias physocarpa 'Family Jewels Tree'

Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata

Antelope-horns
Asclepias asperula
Asclepias in Zone 8
Will Asclepias survive a Zone 8 winter?
16 of the 16 Asclepias varieties in the Sow catalog are rated hardy through Zone 8, where winter lows reach 10°F to 20°F. Hardiness is per-variety, not per-genus — the plants listed above are the ones that hold up; others in the genus are not rated for this zone.
When should I plant Asclepias in Zone 8?
In Zone 8 the last spring frost typically lands around late March and the first fall frost around mid-November. Planting after the last frost — or in early fall, so roots establish before the ground cools — gives the best establishment. Each plant page lists its own planting months.
Which Asclepias is best for Zone 8?
Start at the top of the list above: it is ranked by how many gardeners actually save and grow each variety, which is a strong real-world reliability signal. Then narrow by your sun exposure and the mature size that fits the bed.
Keep exploring
All Asclepias
Asclepias in other zones
See Asclepias in your Zone 8 yard
Snap a photo of your space and Sow places these varieties in it at true mature size — then keeps the care schedule for everything you plant.