As conscientious gardeners, we strive to improve our corners of the world and to steward pollinators for a whole host of reasons. They pollinate our food crops, many of which require insect pollination to produce fruit. Meanwhile, they also improve the look of our ornamentals and boost seed production to expand the colony.
Insects offer natural pest control, as some beneficial species are predators for common garden pests like aphids and scale. They’re an important part of the food web for birds, reptiles, and small mammals. And when it comes to butterflies, they’re beautiful visitors who enliven the space with their fluttering.
No pollinator garden would be complete without growing milkweed. Milkweed is the sole larval host plant for monarch butterflies, whose population is in decline. It also serves a variety of other insects and caterpillars. Its naturalistic, easy-care habit and sweet ornamental bloom clusters are a delight.
While planting milkweed is broadly beneficial, growing it comes with a sort of nuanced responsibility. Not all native species are a fit for our individual sites or the pollinators we intend to support. The right kind of milkweed for our area can get highly specific, and for good reason. The availability of regional native milkweed becomes an integral part of monarch migration patterns and survival.
Here are our top milkweed growing tips for a lovely butterfly habitat!