Jeepers Creepers

Today I'd like to share the importance and efforts we all can make to ensure the population of Monarch Butterflies stays protected!

Also - it'll be a great gift for Mom's as well as a neat family pastime watching the Monarch caterpillars become pupas and then turn into butterflies!

How do you start a Monarch Butterfly Garden??

Plant MILKWEED or Butterfly Bush or Asclepias.

Each region of the United States has their own native milkweed species that adapt to each regions conditions - so be mindful of this prior to purchasing. The milkweed I use here in Southern California is not the same as what is used back east, north, or south -

 all are different.

In my post is tropical milkweed we use in California (Asclepias Tuberosa)

Milkweed plants are the host plant for Monarch Butterflies. Female Monarchs will lay eggs on the milkweed, which then hatch into caterpillars, who then eat the leaves of the milkweed plant. 

And when I say eat - THEY WILL LITERALLY DEVOUR EVERY LEAF ON THE PLANT! 

It's so yummy to them! But no worries - the plant will grow back! 

BE AWARE OF THE APHIDS - when we first planted our milkweed we thought these yellowish-orange dots were eggs - BUT THEY WERE APHIDS. Supposedly they will not harm the Monarch eggs but will deform leaves of the plant. It is recommended NOT TO USE pesticides because it'll kill the eggs and poison the female Monarchs laying eggs. I read soap and water treat it, but I take a rag and gently take the stake of the plant (and careful of Monarch eggs that might be on plant as well) and squish them to oblivion!

In case you have a lot of starving Monarch caterpillars with nothing left to eat - slice a cucumber up and they will devour those too!

Then once the Monarch caterpillars get super plump - they find a place to wrap itself up and 

becomes a pupa.

For us on our "wee" farm, we find these pupas in the strangest places - on our gate handle, under a pond rock, under our porch rocker - so be aware!

After about 10-14 days a beautiful Monarch Butterfly will emerge!

Monarch Butterflies will continue to return wherever you have Milkweed - so watch your garden grow with more milkweed to assist these silky beauties to maintain their population and avoid them from becoming extinct!

What a great Mother's Day 

and Grandmother's Day gift! 

A gift that gives beauty, education, family fun, enjoyment, beauty for a garden, and saves a species!

Click on photo below for more information about 

Monarch Butterflies!