Making Your Garden Monarch-Friendly

Butterflies seem to float through the garden, fluttering here and there, and sipping nectar from colorful flowers. But migrating monarchs fly with a purpose — traveling in one direction.

Every fall, monarch butterflies migrate from the U.S. and Canada to warm, sunny Mexico and California. Monarchs born in the fall migrate to warmer climates from August to November. Migrating monarchs live for up to 8 months, in contrast to others who only live a few weeks. Monarchs begin their northern migration starting around March.

Unfortunately, this incredible phenomenon is threatened by habitat loss in North America and at the overwintering sites. Development in the U.S. is consuming monarch habitats at the rate of 6000 acres per day, according to information from Monarch Watch.

What can you do? Create a "Monarch Waystation Habitat," by providing resources to sustain generations of monarchs. Nectar plants and host plants are the key to monarchs' survival. While monarchs sip nectar from a variety of plants, they only eat and lay eggs on one type of plant: milkweed (Asclepias). When the caterpillars (larvae) hatch, they grow by consuming milkweeds for energy. These fussy eaters will not eat anything else. Without a major effort to restore milkweeds, the monarch population will decline.

Butterflies also need nectar sources to survive; however, many plants are declining due to the widespread use of pesticides. You can create a monarch habitat at your home, school, business, park, or along roadsides — just about anywhere that is sunny. Milkweeds prefer well-drained, somewhat dry soils. They come in a variety of colors such as white, yellow, orange, pink and red.

Personally, I have planted several species of host milkweeds and nectar plants in my yard. A few years ago, I planted just two or three white-flowered milkweeds (Asclepias 'Ice Ballet'), and sure enough, I witnessed a monarch hatching the first year. It sat still for about a half hour or so to dry its wings, and then flew away. Luckily, I had my camera handy to capture this unique, transitory event.

Anyone can join the Monarch Watch conservation program, simply by registering their yards with the program and planting appropriate plants. Over 300 habitats are registered in Pennsylvania including those in Huntington Valley, Morrisville, Yardley, Newtown, Hatfield, Warminster and Doylestown.

Bob and Sandy Wolfe are celebrating five years this month as an official Monarch Watch habitat in Richboro, PA. They originally planted a variety of the monarchs' favorite plants in their yard including milkweeds as host plants, and various nectar plants such as pentas, verbena, zinnias, goldenrods, and other shrubs and perennials. The Wolfes maintain the area by mulching plants, removing invasive species and eliminating the use of insecticides.

Sandy advises everyone to "Grow more milkweeds" and to "be observant." This has been the key to her success assisting monarchs with their task of feeding and breeding in her yard.

As an avid observer of nature, Sandy has witnessed monarchs laying eggs and hatching. Now that she is retired from teaching natural science to middle school students, she spends more time recording everything that happens on her property in a journal that she hopes to turn into a book.

"I raised nine monarchs from eggs to adulthood the first year," she said. "This year, I've been watching monarchs laying their eggs. I'll be waiting to see how many monarchs hatch this fall."

Sandy has inspired her neighbors, who had fun watching the monarchs hatch too. Her neighbors across the street found a monarch chrysalis, which is pale green with gold, attached to a gazebo in their yard. "We all watched it hatch and take flight," she said.

Sandy found most of the chrysalises in her yard on New England aster plants, one of the nectar sources. "They like shrubs or perennials – anything sturdy."

For fall migration postings on the Monarch Butterfly-Journey North website, beginning August 25 visit: www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/AboutFall.html. Monarchs will begin to migrate around mid-September in southeastern Pennsylvania according to the website's migration maps.

Whether you formally register your Monarch Waystation ($16 donation) or you simply plant a few milkweed and nectar plants, you will be contributing to monarch conservation and witnessing one of nature's miracles.