Want to Show Your Love of Monarch Butterflies? Plant (much) More than Milkweed

This blog summarizes some bad news about monarch butterfly populations, but it also suggests meaningful ways you can help. I’m mainly summarizing from three articles that you can read to get more background.

• Eastern Monarch Butterfly Population Falls to… • Monarch Joint Venture

• Eastern Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Area in Mexico Drops Precipitously

• Eastern migratory monarch butterfly populations decrease by 59% in 2024

World Wildlife Fund conducts an annual census of monarch butterflies in their overwintering spot in Central Mexico. This year’s count shows some very bad news. It appears that butterfly populations have dropped by 59%.

Migration is dangerous no matter what, but migratory animals, including monarch butterflies, currently face unprecedented threats and hazards because humans are making it worse. This NPR report tells us,

Nearly half of the world's already threatened migratory species have declining populations, the first of its kind U.N. report found. More than a fifth of the nearly 1,200 migratory species monitored by the U.N. – whales, sea turtles, apes, songbirds and others – are threatened with extinction.

Like other animals facing extinction, what endangers the monarch butterfly is habitat destruction, use of pesticides and other damaging human practices, and climate change.

So, what can you do? Monarch Joint Venture suggests these things (click on each to learn more):

1. Create Habitat for Monarchs

2. Participate in Community Science Projects

3. Share Information

4. Advocate

5. Contribute Financially to Conservation

I agree! One thing I want to stress on the first item is that it takes much more than a few milkweed plants to create a healthy and happy habitat for monarch butterflies.

It’s true that milkweed is the only plant on which they will lay their eggs, but they need nectar from all kinds of plants all season long. That means planning a garden in which there is always a suitable plant blooming. If you don’t feel like you know enough about plants to plan such a garden, there is a lot of information out there that can make planning a garden as easy as planning dinner. I recently wrote a blog that can help and Meridian Township provides a free guide, Planting a Native Meridian: A practical guide for bringing native plants into your yard.

If you want to show your love for monarchs, plant more than milkweed and they will love you right back.