How do I attract Monarchs?

[thistlebloom]

As far as planting for "other" butterflies, my echinacea is a hot spot for them, and they also enjoy the Joe Pye weed.

 

[Beekissed]

It's been butterfly central here this year and all three attractants worked equally well~the large mimosa tree, the butterfly bush and the zinnias. I was surprised about how many pollinators love those zinnias....and they bloom all spring/summer/fall until hard frost so you can't go wrong with them.

Easy to plant, easy to grow, a beautiful showy garden flower that is easy to collect seeds on for another show each year.

I think the mimosa and butterfly bush have the greatest potential for bringing them in as the scent of those plants, particularly at dusk, are just intoxicating and I can just imagine how the moths and butterflies respond to that scent.

 

[AMKuska]

Hmm, I think I'll plant both. @digitS' those other butterflies are just as beautiful! I've only seen cabbage moths here where I'm at, and I must admit they don't really bring me joy to see. If it is just that the monarchs don't come this far up I'll not worry about it so much, I read somewhere WA was part of their migration path.

 

[so lucky]

I had what I assumed were black swallowtail caterpillars on my dill, lots of them. They looked like pics of the Monarch caterpillars. They slowly disappeared, now there are none, and certainly no cocoons. Maybe birds ate them?

 

[mrkep]

I am in central Ohio. Eight years ago, the birds gifted me with a butterfly weed, orange flowers, and I have managed to propagate it into 10 plants throughout my perennial garden where there are coneflower, liatris, monarda, blackeyed susan and a butterfly bush. But I have never seen a monarch. this year many of the leaves on the butterfly weed have been chewed, but I haven't found a chrysalis.

 

[Nenebynature]

You'll want to plant things that aren't hybrids where the pollen is sterile. It's like feeding the pollinators Diet Coke. Tastes good (well maybe for some) but no nutritional value.

You'll also want to plant things that have overlapping blooming periods or staggered blooming periods so there is always food for them throughout the season.

Single blooms as opposed to double blooming flowers are best because it's easier for the pollinator to land on and get the pollen. Also, you may consider planting reds, pinks, oranges and yellows. Those colors planted especially en masse attract pollinators to your garden.

As previous comments stated you'll want to plant host plants. I have aslepscias tuberosa and it's pretty behaved. (So far anyways)

 

[Nenebynature]

It's been butterfly central here this year and all three attractants worked equally well~the large mimosa tree, the butterfly bush and the zinnias. I was surprised about how many pollinators love those zinnias....and they bloom all spring/summer/fall until hard frost so you can't go wrong with them.

Easy to plant, easy to grow, a beautiful showy garden flower that is easy to collect seeds on for another show each year.

I think the mimosa and butterfly bush have the greatest potential for bringing them in as the scent of those plants, particularly at dusk, are just intoxicating and I can just imagine how the moths and butterflies respond to that scent.

I absolutely love growing the zinnias! Now that I found them in my garden will never be without them. The pollinators absolutely love them.

 

[Nenebynature]

As far as planting for "other" butterflies, my echinacea is a hot spot for them, and they also enjoy the Joe Pye weed.



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That patch of flowers is absolutely gorgeous!

 

[seedcorn]

Hybrids don't have sterile pollen. Plants aren't mules.

 

[Nenebynature]

Hybrids don't have sterile pollen. Plants aren't mules.

Thank you. I'm not sure what I was thinking. I appreciate you being so polite. I knew something was off. I shoulda waited to post. The hybrids produce very little or no pollen. Not sterile pollen. They aren't mules. Thank you @seedcorn