Redring milkweed sap is toxic, causing skin irritation, severe eye damage, and systemic symptoms if ingested. Eye contact results in corneal endothelial toxicity, blurred vision, and pain. Ingestion leads to fever, bloating, and muscle spasms. Children and gardeners are particularly at risk due to its popularity in home gardens.

Redring milkweed is a native US species of milkweed that is not considered a noxious weed, although it can be found growing along shaded roadsides. However, it prefers natural habitats such as woodlands and savannas of eastern United States and Texas. Like all milkweeds, it contains cardiac glycosides that make it are poisonous to mammals, including humans. Toxicity depends on the species of milkweed and its developmental stage, although the relations are not well-established, and on the overall health and weight of the consumer. However, humans are rarely impacted by milkweed toxicity; it poses a greater threat to grazing animals, including livestock. Despite this, all milkweeds are important feeder plants for native butterflies, including the famous monarch butterfly.