Plan Now for Your 2018 Monarch Butterfly Garden

The Monarch Butterfly is probably one of the most recognizable butterflies in North America.  It is in trouble! Monarch populations have been declining for a number of years. The loss of food (nectar) plants and milkweeds has been indicated as a major contributor to these declines. By growing nectar sources and milkweeds, which are host plants for the monarch, you can help to offset these losses. To assist in the conservation of the monarch butterfly, we have created two seed mixes:

Monarch Butterfly Garden Mix – this is composed of wildflowers, garden flowers and milkweeds. Plant it in most areas of the U.S. and southern Canada. It is recommended for home gardens, golf courses, parks, businesses and other maintained garden sites.

Native Flower Mix for Monarchs – this is composed entirely of wildflowers and milkweeds that are native to the Midwest. It is useful for planting in the summer breeding range and flyway zones in the Midwestern part of North America. It is recommended for meadow plantings, roadsides, and revegetation projects.

Monarchs migrate south each fall, like many birds, because they do not tolerate cold winters. They need food resources along the entire migration route. In general, the Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains roost along the California coast. Those east of the Rockies fly farther south to the high forests of central Mexico. For the latest update on this year’s return migration to Mexico, please click on this link to take you to the Journey North website:

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarchs/news/fall-2017/103017-massive-arrival-sanctuaries

Additional information about Monarch Butterflies can be found at the Monarch Watch website:

www.monarchwatch.org