Are you ready for the Monarchs?

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Scott Vogt

Spring is coming. Nature is not locked down, but continues to come to life. We notice the buds expanding and the crocus blooming. Leaves emerging from the depths and plants all around us waking from their winter slumber. As spring unfolds around us, something extraordinary is about come our way again. The Monarchs are coming.

*Monarch ovipositing on common milkweed. Photo by Brad Guhr*

*A monarch caterpillar munching on a milkweed. Photo by Brad Guhr*

Providing for pollinators

The monarch’s annual spring migration north from Mexico has begun. You can track their progress through Monarch Watch and Journey North. Each year we take note of when this incredible journey passes through our area. It is amazing to think that these delicate creatures can make this trek north and south every year.

Statistics show that the monarch butterfly population in North America has declined by over 90% in just the last 20 years. This is disheartening. One of the biggest factors in monarch decline is the increasing scarcity of its only caterpillar host plant: milkweeds. Monarchs can’t successfully reproduce, or migrate without milkweeds, resulting in the species decline.

Monarchs also need other blooming native wildflowers, trees, and shrubs that provide nectar for the adult butterflies to feed upon. This habitat, critical to the survival of the monarchs, continues to disappear at an alarming rate. This natural habitat decline is taking a steep toll on wildlife of all types.

*Monarch on New England Aster in the fall. Photo by Janelle Flory Schrock*

Plant more than milkweed

Many of us are planting milkweeds and native nectar plants in our gardens to help monarchs survive. Here is a list of plants from our Native Plant Guide that monarchs prefer:

Perennials

Aster ‘October Skies’
Aster ‘Raydon’s Favorite’
New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae sp.)
Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Coneflowers (Echinacea sp.)
Coreopsis
Blazing Star (Liatris sp.)
Beebalm (Monarda sp.)
Milkweeds (Asclepias sp.)
Yarrow (Achillea sp.)
Eryngium yuccifolium
Goldenrod (Solidago sp.)
Zizia aurea
Vernonia ‘Iron Butterfly’
Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Lavender Towers’
Prairie clover (Dalea sp.)
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium sp.)

Shrubs

Chokeberry (Aronia sp.)
Leadplant (Amorpha sp.)
ServiceBerry (Amelanchier sp.)
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus sp.)
American plum (Prunus sp.)
Elderberry (Sambucus sp.)
Viburnum (Viburnum sp.)

Trees

Buckeye (Aesculus sp.)
Redbud (Cercis sp.)
Persimmon (Diospyros sp.)
Linden (Tilia sp.)

Stretch the season

A greater variety of plants will attract a greater variety of wildlife, including monarchs. Try to plant several species of wildflowers with varying bloom times, providing nectar sources that stretch through the season. Different pollinator populations peak at various times through the warm months, so provide for them by having a long blooming garden. Early spring and late fall flowers can help sustain migrating species in the difficult stages of their journey. Research has shown that a lack of late season nectar sources is as crucial to migration success as milkweed. Help these insects get the energy they need all through the year!

If you plant even a few milkweeds in your own garden, you can help reverse the fortune of these beautiful insects. Support habitat and other food sources for monarch butterflies and other wildlife by planting native plants. It is always beneficial to reduce mowing, and limit or eliminate the spraying of herbicides and pesticides. You can be part of the ultimate solution, which is to provide the plants monarchs need for their life cycle. Watch for these incredible butterflies. They are coming.

One final thought I came across the other day:

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn

Six Ways You Can Help the Pollinators

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Scott Vogt

Did you know that this week is National Pollinator Week (June 15 – June 21)? Whether it is with bees, butterflies, birds or beetles, pollinators are extremely important and provide valuable services.

Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators to reproduce. Think of all the food crop production that would not be possible without the help of pollinators. We rely on these small, seemingly insignificant pollinators for the food we eat. If they are so valuable, then they are certainly worth recognizing and saving.

Here are six ways you can help increase declining populations of pollinators, including bees and monarchs:

1. Plant Pollinator-Friendly Plants

Certainly, milkweeds are the best wildflowers for attracting monarchs to your yard. We saw it this morning as we walked the arboretum – we found three caterpillars munching on the milkweed leaves. Not only that, but every blooming wildflower was covered with a host of insects. The wildflowers are the buffet. (Peruse our native plant list and sample landscape designs for some inspiration.)

Monarch butterfly on Asclepias incarnata, or swamp milkweed – photo by Brad Guhr

2. Plant for a Succession of Bloom

I recommend planting wildflowers that bloom at different times of the year. A mixture of wildflowers coming into bloom and going out of bloom throughout the year provides a ready food source. This approach mimics the natural prairie and the changing seasons.

Cloudless sulphur on Lobelia cardinalis, or cardinal flower – photo by Brad Guhr

3. Provide Habitat

Layer trees and shrubs along with wildflowers and grasses. These plants provide shelter from the wind along with nesting sites and food for birds, butterflies and bees. Even a small garden can have a tremendous impact.

Bumblebee on Echinacea purpurea - photo by Janelle Flory Schrock

Bumblebee on Echinacea purpurea, or purple coneflower – photo by Janelle Flory Schrock

4. Provide Water

We all need water for survival. Pollinators need it too. A clean source of water such as a birdbath, basin, or hollow stone is enough water for pollinators. These features also provide landing spots so that pollinators have a perch. Here are some great plants to complement your water feature.

5. Reduce Chemicals

There is growing research on the detrimental effects chemicals have on pollinators. Any time we can reduce or eliminate the use of chemicals in the landscape, we are impacting wildlife in a positive way. Allow insects to control unwanted pests. Be willing to accept a few damaged plants, knowing that by not spraying you are saving much more in the long run.

Hummingbird moth on Liatris pycnostachya, or Kansas gayfeather – photo by Janelle Flory Schrock

6. Learn About the Plight of Endangered Pollinators

There is so much to learn about each type of pollinator. What do they need? When are they out in the garden? What do they need to complete their lifecycle? Where do they migrate or how do they overwinter? We have so much to learn about these important insects. (One good resource for this is this book, by Heather Holm, which we often carry in our gift shop. And, of course, MonarchWatch.org is a great resource.)

When it comes to supporting the life cycle of pollinators, you can be part of the solution. Native wildflowers are the best option to help them prosper. You will be amazed when you introduce just a handful of wildflowers to your landscape. If you plant them, pollinators will come.

Is Your Yard Pollinator-Friendly?

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Scott Vogt

It is true that pollinators are important for many reasons, including food production. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council in a report from March of 2011, “more than $15 billion a year in U.S. crops are pollinated by bees, including apples, berries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, alfalfa, and almonds. U.S. honey bees also produce about $150 million in honey annually.” It is also true that populations of pollinators are declining throughout the world.

There are many reasons for these declining populations, but what can we do to help them? A few simple steps can be taken in our own gardens, landscapes, and neighborhoods to create healthy ecosystems for pollinators to thrive. Our own backyard can provide the safe habitat they need to rebound from these startling declines.

Tiger swallowtail and bumble bee on Liatris pychnostachya

5 Key Elements of a Pollinator-Friendly Landscape

1. Plant a variety of flowering plants:

The importance of flowering plants, especially native plants, to pollinators is well documented. Pollinators seek these plants out in the landscape. A recent butterfly survey for Harvey County found 17 of the 22 recorded species at the arboretum. We attribute this to the many native plants we have growing here. They don’t have to search to find food. They can find food throughout the year because the prairie is continuously in bloom with overlapping wildflowers blooming from early spring to late fall. Other low maintenance perennials add to the diversity of nectar-rich plants utilized by pollinators.

2. Water, Water, Water:

A water source gives life to pollinators. It can be a bird bath, pool, water feature or small stream. The type of source is not as important as its location. Place your water source in a semi-shaded area protected from wind along with a place to land and sip up the water. Any water in close proximity to the food they need will reduce stress on pollinators.

3. No Pesticide Zone:

This seems obvious, but it is important to note. When our plants are being eaten by insects or foliar diseases appear, we often grab the spray can to immediately solve the problem. Here at the arboretum, we spray as a last resort. By spraying sparingly and infrequently, we minimize the risk of harming pollinators in the garden. Think carefully about when, why and how you spray.

4. Provide shelter:

Pollinators need easy access to protecting habitat. Evergreen trees and shrubs with layered vegetation within easy flying distance from flowering plants is an ideal habitat. The layered plants provide protection from the wind and predators. This protecting habitat is a great place for pollinators to make their homes.

5. The more, the merrier:

If you are the only garden in your neighborhood that is pollinator-friendly, it is a start. But just imagine your landscape connected with your neighbors’ gardens, which are connected with hundreds of others within the community – a giant ecosystem that can be freely navigated by pollinators. Pollinator-friendly gardens can have a tremendous impact on reversing the decline of pollinators. Educate your friends, neighbors and children about what can be done to positively impact pollinators. It has to start somewhere, why not with you?

Monarch butterfly on Asclepias incarnata