PLANT SEEDS NOW TO BENEFIT MONARCHS LATER

Monarchs from Wisconsin and other states in the summer breeding grounds of the eastern migratory flock are in Mexico and the first wave just reached their wintering site. Track their arrival via Journey North reports.

Meanwhile, we can take steps here to help next year’s monarchs and reverse the decline in populations of this iconic species. Now is the time to plant if you like to grow from seed, or time to start planning your garden if you prefer to plant plugs in the spring.

Why plant seeds now?

In Wisconsin, most native plant seeds require a prolonged period of cold before they will germinate and grow (think of how the seeds naturally drop to the soil in the fall and sit through the freezing temperatures of winter before germinating in spring). The seeds will have good soil contact and will be kept moist by winter snowfalls. Lightly raking the soil surface or sowing seed shortly before the first snowfall are good ways to hide the seeds from wildlife that may try to eat some of your seeds before they can germinate.

Top Twelve Species for Beginner Butterfly Gardens

These species are native to the Midwest, easy to grow, versatile in their habitat preferences, attractive, and have a variety of colors and blooming times. Plant list assembled by the Urban & Greenspace Working Group of the Wisconsin Monarch Collaborative.

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Red milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Sweet black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa)

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa)

Meadow Blazing Star (Liatris ligulistylis)

Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)

Find Wisconsin native plant nurseries.