• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home Garden Companion

Home Garden Companion

Ilona's Garden Journal

  • Plant Library On The Journal
    • All Season Garden Color
    • Sitemap
  • Garden chores
    • Essential Garden Tools For Beginners
    • Garden Tips and Advice
  • Ilona’s Garden Home
    • Old House Blog
    • Garden Librarian
  • Ilona’s Garden Flavor Shop
  • Privacy Policy
Home » Monarch Butterflies In The Garden

Monarch Butterflies In The Garden

by Ilona Erwin Filed Under: 2015

This year I saw a big uptick of Monarchs, along with many other types of butterflies in my garden. The most promising thing is the many Monarch caterpillars that I see happily munching on my plants.

I don’t begrudge them.

The garden has lots of Milkweed in it ( grown just for Danaus plexippus), but surprisingly the plants that the larvae most love seem to be Ruta graveolens, or better known as “Rue”.

Full grown butterflies absolutely love the butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa and “Butterfly Bush“, which I also grow, but the caterpillars don’t noticeably feed on them. That surprised me.

Other Plants They Visit In My Garden
  • Autumn clematis
  • Sedum spectabile
  • Bronze Fennel
  • Asters
pink asters
Aster buds and flower

This is the the first in a number of years that I have seen promising numbers of butterflies, particularly of the Monarchs. I am glad of it, but must say that it is still not even near the many crowds of them that I would see in earlier years at this time of the season.

The hopeful thing is simply that the numbers are noticeably increasing in my own garden- which has its challenges from surrounding farmland that is often sprayed.

How I Help Butterflies

  • Plantings that they love
  • No spraying ever
  • Small areas of water (like a birdbath and indented rocks)

One thing I started in recent years has been “meadow areas”. This is easy because as an aging gardener I can no longer give the flower beds the upkeep I once did. I have wildlife supportive plantings of prairie denizens and weedy things like goldenrod and milkweed (real milkweed, Asclepias syriaca).

goldenrod
Goldenrod blooming now

I am not bragging about that… it is just a fact of life. I do like the meadow section with its Echinacea and a bit of Monarda. I would actually like less Goldenrod there. The ornamental grasses did not thrive there, but it has been a feature that has been experimentally successful I think. And good for insect life.

If you would like a list of plants and some tips on encouraging butterflies in your garden I have written an article for you to read.

Make Your Yard a Butterfly Destination

← Previous Post
Thought of Raising Peafowl?
Next Post →
Looking Back: The Renter’s Garden

About Ilona Erwin

I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

DISCLOSURE: I may be an affiliate for products that I recommend. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. Thank you, in advance for your support! Privacy Policy

Garden Enthusiasm

Garden Enthusiasm Delivered

* indicates required

View previous campaigns.

Primary Sidebar

Oh, hi there!

I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

Newest Postings Here

  • Hawaiian Flower Arrangements
  • HELLLOOOO, From The Other Side
  • February Gardening, Last of Winter in the Flower Garden
  • Compilation of Past Mini-Posts of 2003
  • Wayback in Ilona Garden Time

Visit For A Spell

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • Wanelo
  • Secondary Navigation Social Media Icons

    Join Me

    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Mission

Finding your way home via the garden path

Books, Tools, Tips

Read reviews from the GardenLibarian

Portrait of a Gardener

gardener musings
Musings

What’s Wrong With Today’s Gardening?

Modern gardening
What Is Wrong?

Garden Journal

fine garden journal
Journal, Planner and Log Book
Shop Small Trees and More

Bonsai Trees
buy quality plants

You might also like

seeds

National Seed Swap Day on Saturday

Garden advice

What Makes a Low Maintenance Garden?

Create A Child’s Garden, Grow Love For Nature

Growing Indoor Flowers In December

I Found Out About “She Sheds” And Coincidentally, About Friends

Newest Postings Here

  • Hawaiian Flower Arrangements
  • HELLLOOOO, From The Other Side
  • February Gardening, Last of Winter in the Flower Garden
  • Compilation of Past Mini-Posts of 2003
  • Wayback in Ilona Garden Time

Books, Tools, Tips

Read reviews from the GardenLibarian

Standouts

10 Useful Gardening Tips For Spring

Do You Grow Herbs? 10 Reasons To Love Them

10 Cool Season Annual Flowers To Plant

Standouts

August Gardening: Ten Suggestions

What are your ten top choices for perennial plantings?

ilonagarden

With village lights With village lights
Christmas decor #christmasspirit🎄 Christmas decor #christmasspirit🎄
Gift of flowers by my bedside Gift of flowers by my bedside
#mockorange #juneflowers #ohio #mockorange #juneflowers #ohio
Instagram post 18224713828022497 Instagram post 18224713828022497
#bluehydrangeas with Japanese maple on a cloudy da #bluehydrangeas with Japanese maple on a cloudy day. #hydrangeas
#hydrangeaseason #hydrangeaseason
#bluelacecaphydrangea #hydrangeasmakemehappy #hydr #bluelacecaphydrangea #hydrangeasmakemehappy #hydrangeas
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Footer

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Hazel Theme by Code + Coconut