Have You Seen the Monarchs?

Monarch butterflies, like pieces of floating orange-and-black stained glass, have begun migrating through central Texas, heading to their Mexican winter sanctuaries about 900 miles from Austin. They’ll return north next spring, flying up to 3,000 miles to Cananda. Texas sees 12 times as many monarchs during migration as any other state! An old Chinese proverb says the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the next best time is today. Let’s plant “Nectar Stations” now for 2025’s migrations. Even a native plant on an apartment balcony can make a difference, and two of my favorite native pollinator plants are Gregg’s mistflower and milkweed.

For more information about monarchs and their migration, you can visit the following resources:

Monarch Watch: www.monarchwatch.org

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: www.wildflower.org

Native Plant Society of Texas: www.npsot.org

Journey North: www.journeynorth.org/monarchs