Milkweed & Monarchs: How One Plant Can Save a Species

Did you know that the monarch butterfly is the official Texas state insect?

During spring migration, monarch butterflies pass through Texas on their flight to return to their summer habitat in the eastern United States and Canada. Monarchs stop in our state to refuel their bodies with nectar and to lay their eggs on native milkweed plants. Milkweed is the host plant for monarch caterpillars and is the only food that they eat. As a measure of protection, monarchs stick to milkweed, which contains poisonous toxins that remain in the caterpillars’ bodies as they progress through metamorphosis. These toxins cause birds and other predators to avoid eating monarch butterflies throughout their lifecycle.

As a result of habitat loss, extreme temperatures, droughts and wildfires, the population of monarch butterflies has been in decline for several years. Research documents that only two to ten percent of monarch caterpillars survive to adulthood. Loss of native habitat that contains milkweed and nectar plants presents a major issue for monarchs, as they cannot survive without it. Experts view milkweed as the key to monarch population recovery, and this is where you come in!

In 2021 The Woodlands Township earned the designation of Monarch Champion City by the National Wildlife Federation, due to our community efforts to protect this beloved state butterfly. These efforts are continued through The Township’s Plant for Pollinators Program, which provides resources for community members to create pollinator gardens in the home landscape and encourages the addition of native milkweed for monarchs. Learn about what you can do to help monarchs, varieties of milkweed to avoid, and get some quick tips to make growing milkweed a breeze!

What You Can Do to Help Monarchs

Help protect monarch caterpillars and adult monarchs by taking these actions:

• Plant native milkweed plants and nectar plants that bloom in different seasons, providing a food source and host plants for monarchs throughout their migrations.

• Create a “Monarch Waystation” in your home landscape. To learn more about how to begin this process, visit www.monarchwatch.org.

• Report your monarch observations to various community science initiatives and projects.

What Not to Do to Protect Monarchs

One of the easiest ways to protect monarchs is to avoid pesticide use in your garden and lawn, as they have negative consequences for many pollinators, including the monarch butterfly.

To best support the monarch butterfly, avoid planting tropical milkweed. Tropical milkweed is a plant with potential risks for monarch, including a parasite called OE (ophryocystis elektroscirrha). OE spores that come in contact with eggs and caterpillars grow inside the larvae and pupae, spreading the infection, and can result in adult monarch butterflies with deformed wings. In our climate, tropical milkweed does not die back in the fall, which eliminates the spore loads on the plant. As such, opt for a native milkweed like aquatic milkweed or butterfly milkweed. Read on for tips for growing milkweed yourself!

Top 6 Tips for Growing Aquatic Milkweed

1. Cold stratify milkweed seeds or start from plugs. Milkweed seeds require particular care to prepare the seed for planting, known as cold stratification. Follow Lady Bird Johnson’s guidefor proper procedure.
2. Plant in moist soil. Aquatic milkweed thrives in consistent moisture, so planting in wetter parts of your landscape is ideal for their success.
3. Give them space. Milkweed plants have deep and expansive root systems once established. Milkweeds cannot be transplanted since the process damages their sensitive taproot. Aquatic milkweed also expands rapidly and grows up to 12 inches across, so be sure to give them plenty of space upon planting plugs or seeds.
4. Soak up the sun. Plant aquatic milkweed in full sun for optimal growth and avoid areas with partial or full shade.
5. Have patience.  It can take up to two years for aquatic milkweed to reach maturity and to bloom. The first year, the plant usually has only one stem and doesn’t reach full size.  During the second year, the plant may bloom. By the third year, the plant should bloom from summer to fall.
6. Don’t cut back your milkweed in the winter. Milkweed may die back in cooler seasons and reemerges in the spring. Monarch butterflies use these plants as hosts for their eggs; avoid cutting them back to provide leaves that will ensure these young monarch caterpillars have a chance to grow!

As a Monarch Champion City, The Woodlands Township is committed to creating spaces for our pollinators to thrive. We are happy to help you with any challenges you may encounter while planting milkweed in your home landscape. For more information or assistance, contact Environmental Services by calling 281-210-3800 or emailing enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.