Celebrating Monarch Butterflies and Support Monarch Conservation

Fascinating Lifecycle of Monarch Butterflies Talk

• Everyone wants to help monarch butterflies but knowing what they need and when they need it is key. Native milkweed is the perfect start but what else can we do? Learn what they need throughout the year and how to remain calm in the garden when monarchs show up, even in December.
• JANUARY: Our (western) Monarchs begin their year cuddled together in trees in Coastal California from the Bay Area down to San Diego. They might occasionally leave the tree for food or water, but they do not need milkweed because they are not ready to lay eggs until...
• MARCH: Monarchs fan out for the season, looking for food, water, mates and eventually, milkweed.
○ Monarchs like to get nectar from flowers that look like landing pads; scabiosa, lantana and natives like eriogonum (buckwheat), ceanothus (CA lilac), salvias (sage) & arctostaphylos (manzanita).
○ During the year, it is just as important to have food and water for monarchs, as having native milkweed, to attract the adults to your garden to feed. Hopefully then, they will stay to lay their eggs.
○ Once the butterflies mate, then and only then do they look for milkweed to lay their eggs.
○ The eggs hatch within 3-5 days, then quickly begin eating the host plant's leaves, growing so fast that they outgrow their skin and molt four times.
○ After 11-18 days of almost constant eating, they find a safe spot (20-30 feet or more) away from the milkweed.
○ Once they find their spot, they make a small pad and form a "J" like figure with their body to rest for about one day.
○ Then they shed their skin for the last time, and the green chrysalis is revealed.
○ During its time in the chrysalis, the future butterfly goes through a complete metamorphosis that lasts 10-14 days; exchanging eight pairs of crawly legs for six spindly ones, gaining reproductive organs and, of course those beautiful wings.
○ When the adult emerges, it is quick. Within an hour its wings will be filled with fluid, and it can fly away. It will be ready to mate in about one week.
○ The butterfly will live about three weeks, and then the cycle begins again. * It requires food and water while it's growing into maturity.
○ Each year between March and September there are usually 4-5 generations of monarchs reproducing this way.
○ Until, around the end of September when the Super Monarchs are born. These butterflies will live for six months to migrate and then begin the cycle again.

All About Milkweed and Why to Plant Natives

• Locally Native milkweed or Asclepias fascicularis is best for monarch butterflies here in Orange County.
• If you're not a fan of its looks and can't imagine shaggy looking plants in your garden that are consumed by caterpillars, consider planting nectar sources (buddleja, scabiosa, lantana, eriogonum, monardella, native aster, etc.) for butterflies. There are other natives you can plant here such as A. eriocarpa, A. speciosa or A. Californica, but A. fascicularis is best.
• Native milkweed follows the monarch's calendar. It goes dormant in the fall when they no longer need a host plant to lay eggs on.
• Native milkweed does not harbor the protozoan parasite (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha or OE) known to hinder the monarch population, like tropical milkweed does, due to its yearly dormancy in the winter that causes the parasites to die. Tropical milkweeds grow more and more infested with OE over the winter, making each season worse and worse for monarchs.
○ Tropical milkweed may appear to be more appealing to gardeners, due to its colorful flowers throughout the year, however the OE will live on it during the winter (when native is dormant). When butterflies land on it, they can pick up the parasite. Then after laying their eggs, the new caterpillars consume the leaves, ingesting the parasites which multiply in their bodies and affect the adult's development, reproduction, migration and ability to fly. Even with best intentions, it's a terrible cycle to contribute to. The protozoan is also transferred from one adult to another through the mating process, so even a wild-origin and protozoan-free monarch might become infested from a garden reared monarch feeding on the tropical plants.
○ Also, OE does NOT affect the larvae (caterpillars), it is the adults that are weakened, which gardeners do not see and often think they are helping.
• Native milkweed is easy to plant on the ground or in a pot. It can be placed between your plants and left to do its own thing throughout the year with little to no maintenance required, other than occasional watering after it's established.
○ Native milkweed will regrow year after year, and monarchs somehow learn to know where they can return to lay their eggs.
○ Once Milkweed is established, it needs no care during the winter. It is used to being ignored and does best with very little water the entire season.
• There are only three milkweeds native to Southern California, west of the deserts and some that are native to other parts of the western states. It's best to use the variety native to our area to assure you're helping the butterflies.
• There are a few other insects that you may notice that also enjoy native milkweed plants. Bright orange Oleander aphids are sometimes rampant, and the best thing to do is either squish them, hose them off (if there are no caterpillars) or ignore them. They are the one pest that can do damage to the plant. If all else fails, spray an organic insecticidal soap, which will generally not harm monarch caterpillars.
• Native milkweed is sometimes grown commercially by growers, who use pesticides that can be harmful to caterpillars. When buying native milkweed, check to make sure it has not been sprayed with harmful pesticides (such as Bt or neonictinoids).
○ Buyer beware, there is no way to tell if a milkweed has insecticides on it.
○ Also, despite a retail nursery’s best intentions, be careful if it states it’s pesticide-free. There is no real way that a retail nursery can claim this.
○ Roger's Gardens only buys from native plant specialists, and growers we have had very strong relationships with who guarantee that no harmful products were used.
• Native milkweed grows when it's needed by the butterflies, don't worry if butterflies show up in your garden October - February. They don't need milkweed; they are looking for food and/or water.
○ If milkweed is available in the winter, monarchs will lay eggs and continue breeding, but it is a very unhealthy situation for them. Just like feeding geese at the local pond – they will eat breadcrumbs all winter if you feed it to them, but it is a very unhealthy situation for the geese and interrupts their normal migration and overall health.

A Feast for All • Supporting Monarchs & Other Pollinators

• You are already off to great start if you have monarch butterflies visiting your garden to lay eggs on native milkweed plants (and eventually grow into adults). But now you can take a step further by also having food and water while providing safe areas for other pollinators and their friends.
• HABITAT GARDEN:
○ Building a habitat garden can be a rewarding endeavor for you and your visitors to enjoy watching nature come alive in your garden.
○ Using natives as much as possible makes for the best habitat garden. By combining natives with your other garden plants is an easy way to turn your current garden into a habitat garden. Make sure you combine and plant according to each plant's watering needs.
○ Native trees and shrubs give birds a place to live, nest, perch, raise their young, and feel safe.
○ Shrubs that conceal areas that birds will nest in, protect from predators is also a great way to invite them to your garden.
○ FOOD:
▪ Habitat garden thinking includes leaving seeds, berries and grasses for the community to use throughout the year. Only pruning back after the resources of the plant have been used.
▪ Even having insects on plants benefits the inhabitants of your garden. Unless you have an unusual infestation, it's best to let nature do the work. If it's bad, ask one of our expert horticulturists who can provide information for pest removal.
▪ Plants with nectar and "landing pad" blooms encourage other butterflies, such as giant swallowtail, mourning cloak, painted lady, gulf frittillary, etc., by providing them energy to continue their journeys.
• Scabiosa, lantana, native buckwheat (eriogonum), butterfly bush (buddleja), yarrow (achillea)
▪ Hummingbirds are also valuable pollinators and eat lots of gnats and other tiny flying insects, too.
• Flowers with long tube-like flowers are favored by hummingbirds. Salvias (s. clevelandia varieties), Paraguayan firecracker (dicliptera), cuphea varieties (with tube flowers) and abutilon & rusellia equiseteformis (partial shade plants) will keep hummingbirds happy all year.
• Flowers will also attract different varieties of bees, that in turn help pollinate other fruits and vegetables in your garden. Make sure the plants have lots of pollen for the bees to bring back to the hive.
○ Best pollinator plants are: African blue basil, lavender, rosemary, citrus, hollyhocks, yarrow (achillea), and anything that is not sprayed for pests.
• Plants such as citrus trees, dill herb, passionflower, native mallow (malacothamnus) are all plants that help feed as well as "host" eggs and larvae of butterflies.
• When a plant is a “host” plant, you'll need to respect the "supply and demand" aspect of butterfly larvae in your garden. There will rarely ever be enough to feed them all, it's the circle of life.
○ WATER:
▪ Providing water is as important as food. Shallow bird baths or fountains with pebbles for the insects and birds to land on is not only helpful but fun to watch each day. Using anything at hand to provide a spot to drink and rest is welcomed: small trays, plates, pretty saucers with marbles or rocks will work. Check daily to make sure there's always water in them, especially in summer.
• HABITAT GARDEN:
○ Various types of birds will help keep insect infestations down when you have plants that help them feel secure, and even have a little fruit for them to nibble on.
○ Hawks and other raptors will eat rodents (rabbits and rats, mice, etc.). Never use poison! Using poison on rats and other rodents is deadly to large birds that would love to help with rodent control for free, but the dead (or not quite dead) animals can also be consumed by pets, which in turn can make them sick or cause them to die.
○ While some may not like possums in their garden, they are famous for devouring snail and slugs.