As a member of the Wisconsin Monarch Collaborative, SEWISC supports monarch butterflies and other native pollinators by stewarding the conservation of their habitat and you can, too!
By planting native milkweed and other native nectar plants, we can increase habitat available to breeding monarchs and provide refuge from extreme weather conditions. Monarchs need milkweed plants to survive, but some homeowners and land managers are hesitant to plant milkweed due to its reputation for spreading.
Learn how to easily support milkweed and monarchs in your garden and landscapes by viewing the Wisconsin Monarch Collaborative’s new video, “Taking the Weed out of Milkweed: Why gardening with milkweed works in any garden.”
Get ready! The best time to plant milkweed seeds is November and December. It’s best to scatter seeds when the ground isn’t covered with snow, so that the seeds can have good soil contact and lie under a moist blanket of snow all winter. Milkweed plants prefer sunny areas, so choose a location that has at least 6 hours of full sun per day.
For more information on creating monarch habitat in Wisconsin, visit these additional resources:
12 species you can plant for monarchs
Photo by Kate Redmond