Plant a Monarch-friendly Garden

Submitted by Kat_NC on Fri, 08/12/2011 - 3:20pm

Set aside some space for nature and create a butterfly haven in your own backyard. Help Monarch butterflies with the plants and flowers they need to thrive.

Follow these guidelines for the most successful Monarch butterfly garden:

The ideal garden location receives sun for most of the day - butterflies are active between 10 am and 3 pm - and borders a treeline to provide shelter from wind and predators. Some plants have specific habitat requirements that you should pay attention to when choosing them for your garden.
Once you've determined which plant species are right for your area, contact a local nursery for information about obtaining plants or seeds.
Include plants the butterflies will need at all stages of their life cycle. The egg and larvae stage are restricted to species of milkweed, while adults feed on flowers that are fragrant, rich in nectar, and large enough for the butterfly to land on. Favourite flowers are mainly from the sunflower and daisy (Asteraceae) family of plants, but adults are not discriminating browsers so any nectar-producing flower will do. In general, butterflies prefer yellow, pink, orange and purple flowers.
Do not use any pesticides or herbicides on your garden, as they will kill butterflies and other beneficial insects.

Plants necessary for eggs and developing larvae

Monarch larvae depend exclusively on milkweeds (the Asclepiadaceae family) for food and protection. This wildflower is found in fields, roadsides, and other open areas. There are an estimated 2,000 species of milkweed worldwide, with most found in Africa and South America. The species found in Canada are at their most extreme northern range and are found in every province except Newfoundland and Labrador. We only list the most common species found in Canada here. It's always best to plant species native to your locale.

Milkweed is a perennial and once planted will brighten up your garden for many years. Only large insects, such as butterflies, moths and bumblebees, can successfully pollinate milkweeds. In nature, seeds are dispersed by the wind in the fall, but you can also collect them in the early fall and sew them yourself in late fall.

Look for:

Common milkweed
Butterfly milkweed
Swamp milkweed
Poke milkweed

Preferred plants for adults

The availability of enough nectar resources is an absolute must for Monarch habitat. The fuel Monarchs need for their long migration south comes exclusively from fall wildflowers. This list of wildflowers shows some commonly preferred plant species for adult monarchs that are also favourite garden plants.