Milkweed for Monarchs

Monarch butterfly on swamp milkweed

The monarch butterfly…

its orange and black wings dancing on the summer breeze, is a joy to behold. Illinois’s official state insect is a magical creature that flies thousands of miles to reach its overwintering home in Mexico. Unfortunately, this pollinator is also undergoing a vanishing act. The number of monarch butterflies has plummeted in the past few years – so much so that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined last year that the monarch meets the criteria for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Due to the agency’s need to work on other higher priority considerations, however, the monarch remains a “candidate” for listing under the Act instead.

 Illinois is not waiting to take action and has become a regional champion on monarch butterfly conservation. In 2020, the Illinois Monarch Action Plan was approved, which aims to add 150 million milkweed stems to the state by 2038. Why milkweed? Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) is the only plant that monarch caterpillars eat. Without milkweed there can be no monarch butterflies.

 Despite its name, milkweed is not a “weed”, but a beneficial native wildflower. Milkweeds come in a variety of colors and prefer full-sun and well-drained soils (although a couple can tolerate saturated soils). As natives, they are well-adapted to our climate and generally not “high maintenance.” Ascelpias tuberosa or “butterfly weed”, for example, is a lovely alternative to day lilies.

We can become monarch butterfly champions in our own gardens and outdoor spaces by planting milkweed. The effects of this one action will reverberate far beyond our gardens, helping to ensure that the monarch does not go extinct under our watch.

Resources:

Illinois Monarch Project: http://illinoismonarchproject.org/

Monarch Watch: https://www.monarchwatch.org/

Monarch Joint Venture: https://monarchjointventure.org/