April 13, 2023

Meet the Monarch Butterfly

Danaus plexippus

Monarch Butterfly

It can be said here in Northeast Ohio, and surely across the United States, that the Monarch Butterfly is the most top-of-mind species of butterfly. It is highly recognizable with its distinctive orange-and-black coloring and white markings, and it is beloved for its feats and abilities that are unlike any other pollinating insect. But in July 2022, the Monarch Butterfly soared in popularity for a new reason – it entered the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species with the “endangered” distinction. The update went viral, sparking widespread news coverage and causing concern across scientific and gardening communities, alike.

Read I.U.C.N.'s Announcement

endangered status

Quickly thereafter, many people started brushing up on their knowledge of this most popular pollinator, wondering how they might help. They learned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had not yet listed the Monarch Butterfly as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, but also that the Service had acknowledged it as a “warranted but precluded” candidate in December 2020.

Read U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Findings

miracle migration

Many also learned the Monarch is the only known species of butterfly to make 2-way, long-distance migrations like birds. The eastern population (the group Northeast Ohio experiences) breeds in the U.S. and Canada in summer in a cycle that produces multiple generations, most of which live just 2-5 weeks. It’s the final generation produced that travels thousands of miles south on air currents and thermals to Mexico for winter, suspends reproduction, then begins the long flight back in early spring. This generation lives the longest, 6 to 9 months, with a purpose to start the cycle again. Truly fascinating!

So what’s happening to threaten the species?

threatening factors

A number of factors across many regions have directly or indirectly contributed to the monarch population’s decline over the course of the last 25 years, but it boils down to loss of overwintering habitat, loss of breeding habitat, and urbanization (less of the plants on which they rely). Monarchs are also sensitive to temperature changes, so extreme weather events and weather that triggers untimely environmental cues (like causing plants to bloom early) can upset cycle events like migration, reproduction, and hibernation. But there is, of course, hope! And it’s exciting to know that the gardening community is one group that can make a big impact with the easiest of efforts – and efforts we all enjoy!

you can help monarch butterflies by

growing milkweed

The #1 way average homeowners and gardeners can help is by planting perennial Milkweed. And while there are many, many species of perennial milkweed that grow across the Americas, 3 are easy are particularly easy to grow and native to Northeast Ohio.

How to Grow Milkweed for Monarchs

why milkweed matters

The United States, Canada, and Mexico have teamed up to create the North American Monarch Conservation Plan, which asserts the importance of Milkweed (Asclepias spp.), stating “monarch larvae are obligate herbivores of milkweed”. In short, monarch butterflies can only survive where Milkweed grows. How so?

the monarch butterfly

life cycle

The entire life cycle of a monarch is fully dependent on milkweed. Females lay their eggs only on the leaves of milkweed. Within days, the eggs hatch into caterpillars, which feed only on the leaves of milkweed. Within weeks, the caterpillars spin a protective case, or chrysalis, around them on the milkweed, signaling the onset of metamorphosis. Again within weeks, they emerge as the fully formed adults we know so well. From there, the adults feed on nectar-rich flowers of many kinds, but must always locate milkweed again in order to produce the next important generation.

Images Featured | Meet Maximus! We first found him as a caterpillar in late summer 2022, feeding on a quart pot of the Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) type of milkweed at our Oakwood Village location. With excitement, we documented his development from hungry caterpillar to gorgeous adult. We were especially fortunate to be standing nearby the very moment he began to emerge from his chrysalis one morning.

bringing it all together

While it’s concerning that monarch numbers have declined in North America for more than two decades, it is believed that even small efforts can make a big difference in reversing the alarming trend. Planting milkweed is tops on the list, along with planting plenty of other nectar-rich flowers to offer monarchs a feast of blooms spring to fall. Additionally, avoiding pesiticides (or, at the very least, using them responsibly per package directions), and introducing “beneficial bugs” like ladybugs, praying mantises, and nematodes are nice ways to round out your support for this most iconic pollinator.

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