Seeing a monarch butterfly is entirely thrilling. Their huge, unmistakable black and orange wings are bewitching. Not only are they fascinating to look at, but they're also important pollinators for fruit and flowers. Sadly, the International Union for Conservation of Nature declared the migratory monarch an endangered species in July 2022. Their population has dropped with the destruction of their habitats in Mexico and California and the loss of milkweed in breeding grounds in the Midwest and Canada.
One of the most effective ways to help monarch butterflies is to plant milkweed seeds in your garden. Here's how you can find free milkweed seeds to get started and how to grow milkweed for monarchs.
Why is milkweed important to monarchs?
Milkweed is a perennial flower native to North America that thrives in many ecosystems. This plant is essential to the life cycle of monarch butterflies because the insects need milkweed to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, milkweed is the only plant the white, black, and yellow-striped caterpillars will eat. This makes it essential for helping the next generation of monarchs grow and hatch each season. It's more important now that the monarch population is declining so alarmingly.
How to Get Free Milkweed Seeds
To lend monarch butterflies a helping hand, some organizations are making milkweed seeds more accessible for everyone. They send the seeds to gardeners, students, and enthusiasts to support the conservation of butterflies and their habitats. The organizations that send free seeds include Live Monarch, Monarch Watch, and Little Wings.
Live Monarch is celebrating 21 years of helping monarch butterflies. Live Monarch states that this program is for students, educators, and those in need. They ask that if you can afford to purchase the milkweed seeds, to do so. To get free seeds, mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Live Monarch - 2022 Seed Campaign, Po Box 1339, Blairsville, Georgia 30514. You'll receive 15 or more milkweed seeds for your region. Due to the organization's popularity and increased demand, receiving the seeds takes approximately 2-4 weeks.
Monarch Watch offers free milkweed seeds for habitat restoration projects. You must have two acres or 1/4 of an acre in California to participate. A few places aren't eligible to participate in this program, including Canada, South Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and parts of Texas and North Carolina. You apply, and if selected, you cover the shipping. Within a week, you'll have plenty of milkweed seeds to plant based on your location.
Little Wings provides free seeds through its website. Currently, they only have stock in common milkweed, a versatile variety that should grow in many regions. Click the "add to cart" button on the available seeds. Once in the cart, add your shipping info. Your milkweed seeds should arrive in 1-2 weeks, and you can start planting.
Common Milkweed Varieties
There are over 70 types of native milkweed (Asclepias spp.) throughout the United States. When planting milkweed, try to find a suitable variety for your location. This way, you don't encounter issues with seasonality, weather conditions, or winter hardiness.
Best Milkweed Varieties for the Northeast
- Swamp milkweed (A. incarnata)
- Common milkweed (A. syriaca)
- Butterfly milkweed (A. tuberosa)
- Clasping milkweed (A. amplexicaulis)
- Poke milkweed (A. exaltata)
- Fourleaf milkweed (A. quadrifolia)
Best Milkweed Varieties for the Southeast
- Clasping milkweed (A. amplexicaulis)
- Butterfly milkweed (A. tuberosa)
- Radring milkweed (A. variegata)
- Whorled milkweed (A. verticillata)
- Green comet milkweed (A. viridiflora)
- Pinewooods milkweed (A. humistrata)
- Swamp milkweed (A. incarnata)
- Longleaf milkweed (A. syriaca)
Best Milkweed Varieties for the Midwest
- Swamp milkweed (A. incarnata)
- Showy milkweed (A. speciosa)
- Common milkweed (A. syriaca)
- Whorled milkweed (A. verticillata)
- Butterfly milkweed (A. tuberosa)
Best Milkweed Varieties for the South
- Green antelope horn milkweed (A. viridis)
- Antelope horn milkweed (A. asperula)
- Broadleaf milkweed (A. latifolia)
- Zizotes milkweed (A. oenotheroides)
- Butterfly milkweed (A. tuberosa)
- Swamp milkweed (A. incarnata)
- Arizona milkweed (A. angustifolia)
- Rush milkweed (A. subulata)
Best Milkweed Varieties for the Northwest
- Showy milkweed (A. speciosa)
- Broadleaf milkweed (A. latifolia)
Best Milkweed Varieties for California
- Mexican whorled milkweed (A. fascicularis)
- Heartleaf milkweed (A. cordifo-lia)
- Woolly milkweed (A. vestita)
- California milkweed (A. californica)
- Desert milkweed (A. erosa)
- Woolypod milkweed (A. eriocarpa)
How to Plant Milkweed Seeds
If you get milkweed seeds for your garden, you can plant them in spring or fall. Scatter the seeds outdoors where you want them to grow in the fall. They won't sprout until they've been exposed to freezing temperatures. Once spring comes, the seeds will be ready to start growing. They may not bloom the first year, but they'll still have leaves for monarch caterpillars.
To plant milkweed seeds in spring, start them indoors in late winter or early spring. You'll need to stratify your seeds, meaning expose them to cold temperatures for a period of time before they'll sprout. One method of stratifying milkweed seeds is to place them on a moist paper towel in a plastic baggie. Leave in the fridge for 6-8 weeks, then sow the seeds in small pots. Once your seedlings have a few sets of leaves, harden them off and transplant them outside after the last sign of frost in your region.
The monarch butterfly population won't recover overnight, but gardeners nationwide can help just by including a few milkweed plants in their yards. In addition to milkweed, adult monarchs love nectar-rich plants like lantana, rudbeckia, and yarrow. These flowering plants make it easy to beautify your garden and help monarch butterflies.