Update: 19 February 2025. Our goal this spring is to distribute free milkweeds to 200 schools and educational non-profits. At this time, we have received applications from over 200 schools. The application is still open. Please apply if you would like to be on the waiting list or if you would like to be considered for Spring 2026.
Thank you for your interest in creating habitat for monarchs and pollinators!
General Timeline:
- early October: application opens
- early to mid-February: application closes (exact timing depends on milkweed availability)
- mid-March: award emails sent
- April to mid-May: milkweeds shipped
Free milkweeds are awarded in the order that applications are received, so submit early!
Free milkweeds are available for most of the breeding range of the eastern and western monarch butterfly. We do NOT currently have free milkweeds available for the Rocky Mountains.
Schools and Educational Non-Profits who demonstrate the following will be given priority for free milkweeds:
- Educational goals of garden clearly described
- A clear, long-term maintenance plan for the garden space
- Adequate space (at least 100 square feet) and light ( at least 6 hours per day)
- Spring/Summer/Fall nectar sources existing or to be added in addition to milkweed
- Administrative support
– Provide a letter of support from your school or organization that landscape crews will not pull the plants or re-purpose the space in the foreseeable future. - Commit to a follow-up survey in the Fall for photo submissions and garden evaluations.
All application materials must be complete prior to review by Monarch Watch.
Answer all questions to the best of your ability. Once you have applied, save the confirmation email that you receive. If you do not receive a confirmation, your form was not submitted!
If your organization qualifies, we will provide a free (including shipping) flat of 32 milkweed plugs of a species that is native to your region. In Texas, the flats will contain 58 plugs. We encourage you to share any extra plugs with another school if you don’t have room in your garden.
What is a “plug?”
The native milkweed that is awarded to qualified applicants comes in “plugs.” These are live plants that have been grown in a restoration nursery. The plants are often trimmed to increase the root mass or are trimmed for shipping. This does not harm the plants and can actually benefit them. Unlike nursery plants, restoration plants are grown for habitat restoration, not for aesthetic value at the time of planting.
Below are several excellent resources as you plan your butterfly garden:
Butterfly Gardening (Monarch Watch)
Ecoregional Planting Guides (Pollinator Partnership)
Schoolyard Butterfly Gardens (PDF) (Monarch Joint Venture)
We hope you will consider registering your garden as a Monarch Waystation
Note that the application form cannot be saved and revisited prior to submission, so we encourage you to view the 2025 sample form to help you gather all answers/materials for the application ahead of time.
Within the application you will be asked to upload a photo of the garden site, a diagram of your garden plan, and your letter of support.
Once you have the photos, diagrams, and letter of support, please apply by completing the Free Milkweeds for Schools & Non-Profits form.
