Q • Because the monarch butterfly is now listed as an endangered species, what plants can I grow in my garden to provide habitat for them?
A • To create habitat in your garden that will attract and help sustain monarch butterflies, you will need to include both host plants and nectar plants.
Native milkweeds serve as an egg laying site for adult butterflies and are the only host plant that will support larval monarch butterflies. Plant milkweed species such as swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) to serve as host plants.
Adult monarchs do not feed on plant foliage but require nectar as a food source to sustain them throughout the year. They are able to feed on a wider palette of flowers, so select a variety of species that provides overlapping and continuous bloom from spring to fall. For example, blue star (Amsonia tabernaemontana), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) and wild sweet William (Phlox divaricata) are good options for spring.
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Species such as spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) will provide nectar during the summer, and blazing star (Liatris spp.), asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) and blackeyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta) can serve as a food source from late summer and into fall.
Before planting anything, research the species you are interested in growing to ensure you have the right growing conditions. For a more comprehensive list of plants for monarch butterflies, visit the Xerces Society’s website: xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/16-062.pdf. You can also find detailed growing information about each species on our Plant Finder database: missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfinder/plantfindersearch.aspx.
Write to the Missouri Botanical Garden's Center for Home Gardening at plantinformation@mobot.org or the Horticulture Answer Service, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110.