Are you wondering how to bring more butterflies to your yard, especially the magnificent monarch? All you need to do is add certain native plants to your yard, and today I’m going to tell you how to grow these monarch magnets from seed! Hello and welcome or welcome back to my channel, California Garden Goddess. I’m Anna, and I’m a 4th generation grower gardening in the gorgeous foothills of the Angeles National Forest in Zone 10A. I love gardening and I’ve been raising monarch butterflies since 2015. Helping pollinators has become one of my main passions and joys in life. I’d love to share my garden tours, events and DIY with you, so don’t forget to like and subscribe if you like this content. It’s just a small gesture but it really helps my channel grow so that I can share more wonderful garden content with you all.
Today I’m going to show you how plant milkweed from seed and I’m also going to attempt to take milkweed cuttings for the first time. People told me they didn’t think it was possible to take milkweed cuttings, but I read about a method from monarchwatch.org and want to try it because my monarch caterpillars usually devour my flowers and don’t allow me to keep seed, so I want to propagate another way. I’ll also talk about basic milkweed placement and maintenance as we add some new plants to my garden.
This week is National Pollinator Week and in honor of these beneficial insects and hummingbirds, I’ll be hosting a series of videos on some of the most threatened and charismatic pollinators and how you can help by adding more native flowering plants to your garden, wherever you live, even if you’re on a balcony or live in the city. I’ll also give you tips on maintaining your native garden to help pollinators. Subscribe here:
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We’re kicking off with what I feel is the most charismatic and endangered pollinator of all - the monarch butterfly, which is considered a special gateway species because so many people love these brightly colored beauties. Butterflies mean different things to different cultures, but many cultures and religions throughout the world consider them as signs of reincarnation, rebirth, renewal or change. Orange butterflies, which look a lot like monarchs, were even depicted in the last episode of season 3 of Bridgerton! I have a special connection with monarch butterflies since I started raising them on my 200 square foot patio back in 2015.
While these pollinators are popular, they’ve also become a lot more rare. There are two populations in the U.S. - eastern and western. This past winter, the eastern population, which are the butterflies east of the Rockies that overwinter in Mexico, is the second smallest on record, according to authorities in Mexico City. This is likely due to last fall’s drought conditions from Oklahoma going south deep into Mexico. The numbers are so low that few monarchs will be seen this coming summer in many parts of the U.S. and Canada. Thankfully, you can help these butterflies with just a small outdoor space, even as small as 5x7 feet.
Obviously native plants will vary by region and some of these plants will only grow in one area, which is called an endemic species. If you’re in North America, the Xerces Society has information on which plants are native to your area. As always, I’m including links to all of my sources so you can find plants specific to your area. I may be explaining how to plant and care for narrow leaf milkweed, but the same concepts usually apply to most other U.S. milkweed varieties.
Xerces Society: U.S. Pollinator-Friendly Native Plant Lists.
xerces.org/pollinator-conserv...
Monarch Fellowship: Free milkweed for California residents) www.monarchfellowship.com/
Monarch Watch: Monarch and milkweed info. www.monarchwatch.org/milkweed/
Tree of Life: California native plant nursery outside San Juan Capistrano, California. californianativeplants.com/
California Botanic Garden Grow Native Nursery: California native plant nursery in Claremont, California. Closed during summer, except for milkweed. www.calbg.org/grow-native-nur...
Theodore Payne Foundation: California native plant nursery in Sun Valley, California. theodorepayne.org/plants-and-...
Johnny's Seeds: Wonder Waterer www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-sup...|%20Search%20|%20DSA%20|%20PRP&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwg8qzBhAoEiwAWagLrIRtP1KlKlgfibjgi3qrMoLHsVNdYQTS9Q6PAa1xLBd_Me4U2Nm0thoCJRwQAvD_BwE
Monarch Facts:
www.nationalgeographic.com/an...