Migrating into the New Year
Monarch Butterfly on vegetation.
Happy New Year Flower Friends! Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop hosted by the Xerces Society entitled, “In the Life of Monarchs East of the Rockies: Biology and the Great Migration.” And boy let me tell you…humbling…. like I thought I had a decent understanding of Monarch butterflies from things I’ve picked up here and there and along the way….they are orange and black, they migrate to Mexico, milkweed is a host plant, and they are on the decline due to habitat loss. What more do I need to know…well while all these things are true the complexity of these creatures is truly remarkable and there are so many more things we can do for them besides just plant milkweed. I had simplified their little fluttery lives way down and had no idea about them really. I couldn’t even effectively identify them before this presentation. I learned that I have made mistakes thinking that I am contributing to their survival when in reality I am possibly being detrimental by planting the wrong type of milkweed and should milkweed be my focus anyway?! I see them on neighborhood walks around our lake brambles, but I don’t think I’ve seen a monarch in my yard which has been puzzling to me when I have loads of swallowtail caterpillars. This is another case of the “ya don’t know what ya don’t know” and I suspect others probably are in my same boat. Soooo I thought I’d skip the basics except for proper identification and share with you some of the really cool facts that I learned. I love knowledge nuggets so here you go:
So how can we help the rapidly declining Monarch butterfly?
Plant the right kind of milkweed for your area. Avoid tropical milkweed as it can confuse migrating butterflies. Tropical milkweed tells the butterfly that they are getting close to their overwintering location as it occurs naturally in Mexico. Use this Regional Milkweed Guide to determine the best options.
Plant Fall blooming nectar plants. Nectar plants may even be more important to the Monarch than milkweed because they are the fuel source for migrating Monarchs. Choose plants in these families--Aster, Dogbane, Mint, and coffee. Click here for a Nectar Plant Guide.
Report any Monarch Nectaring sighting data to the Xerces Society website here. Take a picture of the Monarch on the plant if you can.
Continue learning about these amazing creatures and other special pollinators too! Listen to the full-length workshop and other workshops available for free by the Xerces Society and follow migration maps through Journey North.
I am by no means an expert on Monarch butterflies, but after listening to this workshop, I feel that I can steer you in the right direction to help answer any questions you may have. I always love to connect with my readers so feel free to reach out to me anytime at nicole@breemarflowerfarm.com.
Until next time, Flower Friends!
Keep Blooming,
Nicole Dillon, Breemar Flower Farm
