The number of monarch butterflies worldwide has dropped by 90 percent in less than a quarter-century. Climate change, habitat loss, and pesticide use are believed to be largely responsible for this precipitous drop.
These butterflies may soon be on the Endangered Species list.
But the average homeowner can take action to support butterfly species – as well as other pollinators – in your local area. (Not all parts of the US are able to support Monarchs, specifically.) If you would like to host butterflies in your yard, here are some plants that are especially delicious and welcoming for a variety of butterfly species – and the specific butterflies that love them most. (Here in Ohio, we’re lucky to get Monarchs as well as many other types of beautiful butterflies. Monarchs generally stop off in the Ohio on their way to Mexico for the winter, so keep an eye out for them in late summer and early fall.)
Alfalfa and Peas – Sulphur butterflies
Azalea and Gooseberry – Gray Comma butterflies
Buckwheat, Lupines, and Milkvetch – Acmon Blue butterflies
Chickasaw plum – Coral Hairstreak butterflies
Cottonwood and Willow — Viceroy butterflies
Cudweed, Everlast, Mallows, and Thistles –Painted Lady butterflies
Dragon sagebrush – Baird’s Swallowtail butterflies
Grasses – Woodland Skipper butterflies
Hoptree, Plum, Sycamore, and Willow – Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies
Maypops, Passion Flower, Stonecrop, and Violets – Gulf Fritillary and Variegated Fritillary butterflies
Milkweeds – Monarch butterflies
Mistletoe – Great Purple Hairstream butterflies
Parsley – Black Swallowtail butterflies
Pawpaw – Zebra Swallowtail butterflies
Pigweed and Saltbush – Pygmy Blue butterflies
Prickly Ash – Giant Swallowtail butterflies
Purpletop grass and Sedges – Dun Skipper butterflies
Redbud – Henry’s Elfin butterflies
Sassafras – Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies
Vetches – Western Tailed Blue butterflies
Wild Cherries – Red Admiral, White Admiral and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies
Wisteria – Silver-Spotted Skipper butterflies
There are many things that homeowners and nature lovers can do to help protect local butterfly species. Use natural methods of garden maintenance and pest control – do not use pesticides. Allow your lawn to grow a little wild – don’t keep it mowed so short in order to allow butterflies to flourish. Maybe there’s a section of your yard that you can just let grow – your local butterfly species will thank you! And you can add some of these plants to your yard or garden, and prepare for visits from these beautiful and varied butterflies! If you’d like to learn more about how to make your yard and garden more pollinator-friendly, your local tree service professional can advise you on best practices.