When I read this article, Habitat loss on breeding grounds cause of monarch decline my first response was "Hurray!"
Not because I hate butterflies. But because the researchers found that the problem with monarchs is here in the US where they feed and breed, NOT in Mexico where they congregate and overwinter. Which is good news because that means that I, and all of you who live in Monarch territory, can DO something about it. Monarchs are declining because there has been a 21% decline in the amount of milkweed for them to feed on since 1995. You can help by planting milkweed. That's pretty simple. Much simpler than the high unemployment, drug wars, and lack of opportunity that bedevil efforts to preserve overwintering habitat in Mexico.
So plant some milkweed. And, while you are at it, plants lots of OTHER things. Because monarchs are far from the only fascinating animal that is suffering the results of extensive habitat loss, even if they get a disproportionate amount of coverage. The best way to support the widest possible range of insects and other animals in your garden is to grow as wide as possible a range of plants. Especially if they are different from the plants your neighbors have in their gardens! Then follow that up by not using any insecticides on your plants.
I was mowing my backyard weeds and had to stop when I excitedly discovered milkweed growing. I also might have had a small argument with my husband when he pulled up a milkweed plant and I was very mad at him. I tried to seed in some milkweed but was sad when it didn't come up. I was very glad when I found wild millkweed--it might not be as pretty, but it will do.
ReplyDeleteNative gardening can always be swallowed better by significant other and neighbors alike if you keep the beds formal. Edging, retaining walls, and formal garden elements such as statues and gazing balls might make it feel like less of a prairie/savanna than we want, but they also help win hearts and minds to growing things that otherwise get dismissed as weeds. If this is still not enough and the appearance of, say, milkweed is too weedy, be sure to plant it with other related natives that will steal the show. I use Junegrass (Koeleria Macrantha), Prairie Sage (Artemisia Ludoviciana), and Purple Lovegrass (Eragostis Spectabilis) as backdrops to get sort of an attractive prairie look going; people seem to tolerate this scene because it does make one thing of a prairie swaying in the wind, and the milkweed looks right at home. I then bombard the front and innards of the milkweed patch with Butterfly weed (Asclepias Tuberosa) and Sand Coreopsis (Coreopsis Lanceolata) to remind people that this thing does and will look beautiful as well as functional, and some Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia Humifusa) to confuse the heck out of onlookers. All of these are natives, all of them require little in the way of supplemental water, and most of them are readily commercially available. That said, go nuts! If you can find other ornamentals and profuse flowering friends to distract the viewer, by all means go with what works and what makes you satisfied.
DeleteGreat post, we have Asclepias speciosa in the garden as well as tons of pollinator plants - i.e. aster, echinacea, etc. Even if the monarchs don't come this far north to Portland, in the event they do we are ready and spreading the word. Pesticide free.
ReplyDeleteAnd the northern Plains is where most monarchs breed -- this is also the area with largest conversion to crop monoculture; so planting milkweed in home gardens is nice ONLY IF it wakes us to the larger issues in larger landscapes, and the deeper cultural problems we face.
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