The information below is provided for recipients of milkweed via our Milkweed Market and two free milkweed programs. Thank you for your interest!

• Information for all milkweed recipients
• Additional resources for school and nonprofit gardens
• Information for restoration recipients
• Additional resources for restoration
• Milkweed species information

INFORMATION FOR ALL MILKWEED RECIPIENTS

When the plants arrive, please do the following:

1. Unpack the plants, remove the netting (if any), and place them in shade or filtered sunlight, such as under a tree. If the plants were trimmed by the nursery, they may have few to no leaves. This is normal. If you are concerned about the plants, you can check the roots. The value of these plants is in their perennial roots. Pale roots are living roots and mean that your plants are healthy even if stems are broken or few leaves are present.

Our shipping contract is with UPS. Sometimes the boxes are tossed around or upended while in transit. If the plants were dislodged from their cells during shipping, carefully place loose plants and soil back in the cells and allow them to recover for a few days.

2. Check to see if the plants need water.

3. If the plants have aphids, now is a good time to remove as many as possible by spraying with water. Or, spray them with the following solution to kill the aphids, then rinse the plants thoroughly with water after 15 minutes:

• 1 oz Blue Dawn dish soap
• 1 oz Isopropyl Alcohol
• 1 oz white vinegar
• 1 gal water

After your plants are in the ground, avoid using any solutions that kill aphids as it would also kill monarch eggs and larvae, as well as insect predators of aphids.

4. Allow the plants to acclimate and rehydrate for 24 hours before planting. If you are expecting a freeze, protect the stems from frost. Plant in areas of full sun.

5. Spacing

• For Gardens: Plants should be placed about 12" apart from one another in clusters of 3-5 plants. Planting all of the milkweeds in one place is not recommended, because disease and parasites can spread rapidly. Perennials return from living roots every year. Annuals do not come back, except when they re-seed themselves. Plant milkweeds in an area where the soil will not be disturbed. With proper care they will thrive every year for many years to come.

Place other nectar-producing plants among the milkweed plants. Adult butterflies feed on nectar, which is found in blooming plants. We recommend 2-3 nectar plants for every one milkweed plant. Butterflies need nectar available throughout the spring, summer, and fall.

• For Habitat Restoration: Plants should be placed about 12" apart from one another in clusters of 3-5 plants, 10-13 clusters per acre. Planting all of the milkweeds in one place is not recommended, because disease and parasites can spread rapidly. Place other native nectar-producing plants among the milkweed plants.

6. It is important to obtain plants that have not been treated with systemic pesticides during propagation. The best places to find pesticide-free native plants are at local nurseries or at plant sales hosted by local environmental organizations, native plant societies, or Extension Master Gardeners.

7. Mulch the plants well with a naturally degrading mulch such as straw or hay. Wood chips are not ideal but are better than nothing. Keep in mind that some access to bare ground is important for some insect pollinators, such as ground nesting solitary native bees.

8. Rabbits and deer tend to eat young milkweed shoots. If they are in the area, you may want to protect the plants with barriers or deterrent granules until the plants are established.

9. If it does not rain, water the plants once or twice a week for the first 4-6 weeks, decreasing watering as the plants become established and begin to grow new leaves. In drought conditions, keep an eye out for wilting and water as needed.

10. Once the plants are established, they should adapt to natural conditions and require very little care, aside from thinning at your discretion. If you thin stems or leaves that contain eggs or larvae, place them at the base of another milkweed. The caterpillars will find the new plants.

Native milkweed plants are perennials. They have a period of dormancy and a period when they are growing. They will appear "dead" when they are dormant, but they are not dead. Dormancy can occur during a drought, extreme heat, or when the plant is moved to a new location. For example, most Texas species go dormant in the summer and winter and grow in spring and/or fall.

If you have a social media presence, or feature your garden in local media, please acknowledge the gift of milkweed plants from Monarch Watch. We hope that you also register your habitat as a Monarch Waystation. You can do so via the Monarch Watch Shop.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL AND NONPROFIT GARDENS

For butterfly garden plant lists, download this pdf file and/or check out these other great resources:

• Ecoregional Planting Guides (Pollinator Partnership)
• Schoolyard Gardens (MJV)
• Butterfly Gardening (Monarch Watch)
• Milkweed (Monarch Watch)
• Monarchs and More Curriculum (MJV)
• Teaching Tools About Monarchs (WWF)
• Monarch Butterfly Teachers and Student Resources (USDA/USFS)
• Teaching about the Magnificent Monarch: Resource Recommendations for Conservation Educators (AFWA)
• In the Classroom (Monarch Watch)

INFORMATION FOR RESTORATION RECIPIENTS

Thank you for participating in our milkweed restoration program. Creating quality habitat is the best thing you can do for the monarch butterfly. We are supplying you with free milkweed plants that have a significant retail value and we need to follow up with our funding sources to let them know that their money was well spent. In return for receiving these valuable plants, we ask that you complete a follow-up survey for each restoration site. The link to the survey will be emailed to you about eight weeks after you receive your plants.

We have included some ideas for documenting and promoting your restoration project. These ideas are not required but will help you complete the follow-up survey and help educate others in your area about monarch habitat.

Before shipment is received:

• Carefully review your invoice. The amount due is for shipping and handling only. The plants are free. Make sure your shipping address is correct.
• Any questions or concerns should be sent to the Monarch Watch Milkweed Coordinator, Dena Podrebarac, at denap@ku.edu
• If your invoice is correct, arrange payment as soon as possible. Once we receive payment, your order will enter the queue for shipping.

Before planting:

• Review the planting instructions and habitat needs for your species.
• Consider having a planting event and inviting the media.
• Recruit volunteers to help with planting. Make sure they bring gloves and spades!
• Take "before" photos of your restoration site.
• Start a journal or internet blog for recording observations.
• Take photos of your planting event.

During planting:

• Install a sign identifying your site as monarch restoration habitat. You may register as an official Monarch Waystation here: monarchwatch.org/waystations
• Flag the plants as they are planted so they can be located easily for watering, weeding, and follow-up documentation.
• Continue to journal or blog observations.

After planting:

• Continue to take photos.
• Gather internet links to any media reporting of your event.
• Monitor the plantings on your site. Water as needed. Remove vegetation that may block sun from the seedlings or choke them out.
• Continue to journal or blog observations.
• Respond to the follow-up survey. It will include questions about successes and challenges, plant survival, and media coverage. You will have the opportunity to upload photos.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR RESTORATION

These resources will help you complete a successful habitat restoration project:

• Lots of great habitat restoration articles here: prairienursery.com/resources-guides
• Especially this one: prairienursery.com/media/pdf/site-preparation-and-prairie-seeding-methods.pdf
• Farmers for Monarchs: farmersformonarchs.org
• Monarchs and Milkweeds: floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-butterflies/brochures (Scroll down to the Monarchs and Milkweeds brochures)
• The Pollinator Partnership has resources for various entities including guides for utility right-of-way plantings: pollinator.org
• This page is specific to monarchs: pollinator.org/wingspan
• Monarch Joint Venture has additional publications for download: monarchjointventure.org/resources
• This MJV handout covers best mowing practices for monarchs: mjv.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/documents/MowingForMonarchsUpdated.pdf
• Why conserve monarchs? mjv.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/documents/moncons_talking_points_Updated.pdf
• Iowa-based "Integrated Roadside Management Plan" iowadot.gov/lrtf/Integrated-Roadside-Vegetation-Management
• The Xerces Society: xerces.org/pollinator-conservation
• Find your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office here: nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center
• Monarch Health tracks the spread of OE, a parasite of the monarch: monarchparasites.org
• The Monarch Larva Monitoring Project tracks eggs and caterpillars at a site: mlmp.org/
• The North American Butterfly Assn. conducts butterfly counts nationwide, and many events are all-ages: naba.org
• Journey North collects reports of monarch sightings: journeynorth.org/monarchs
• Quail and Pheasants Forever "Why Habitat?": quailforever.org/Habitat/Why-Habitat.aspx
• National Conservation Training Center webinars: fws.gov/training/monarch-butterfly-conservation-webinar-series
• Northeastern regional plant list, includes host plants: monarchwatch.org/garden/plant-list-monarchwatch.pdf
• Texas plant list: monarchwatch.org/garden/plant-list-tx-monarchwatch.pdf
• Native Planting Handbook from one of our partner nurseries: taylorcreeknurseries.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Nursery-Handbook-August2019-website.pdf
• Register your native planting as a Homegrown National Park: homegrownnationalpark.org

MILKWEED SPECIES INFORMATION

• Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) grows in sandy, clayey, or rocky calcareous soils. It occurs along the banks or flood plains of lakes, ponds, and waterways, in prairies, forest margins, roadsides, and waste places. (USDA plants database)
• Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a tall plant with fragrant, showy clusters of pink and light purple flowers. It does well in landscape plantings with moist soil and in plantings near bodies of water. Unlike many ornamentals, swamp milkweed tolerates heavy clay soils and is very deer-resistant. It is a more cultivated alternative to common milkweed that is also attractive to egg-laying Monarchs. (USDA plant database)
• Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is ideal in semi-dry places where it can spread without presenting problems for other ornamental species. Butterfly milkweed does well in sandy, loamy, or rocky calcareous soils of prairies, roadsides, and waste places. (USDA plant database)
• Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) Due to its narrow leaves and stems, this species blends in with grasses and is easily overlooked when not in bloom. Among the milkweeds, the whorled milkweed is one of the few clone forming species. Although this species is seldom found in cultivated or grazed landscapes, it colonizes ditches and road-banks. Because this species is one of the last milkweeds to senesce as the season progresses, it is a common late season host plant for monarch larvae. It is one of the most broadly distributed of all milkweeds in the United States.
• Green antelopehorn (Asclepias viridis) This milkweed is common in pastures from Kansas to Texas. Generally avoided by cattle and horses. It can be found along roadsides, ditches, prairies, open areas, and other areas with little vegetative competition. This species tends to be short (12 inches) with multiple stems emerging from the root crown of mature plants. Leaf shape is highly variable. The pale yellow-green flowers are borne on large erect umbels. The flowers are distinct in that they lack horns. The common name is derived from the appearance of the seed pods.
• Antelopehorn milkweed (Asclepias asperula) Mature seed pods curve upward approximating the form of an antelope horn, hence the common name for this species. Leaves are long and fold upward from the central vein in a V. The stem is green tinged with maroon. Erect umbels bear greenish white and maroon flowers that form broad round clusters, strongly contrasting with the bright green leaves.
• Mexican Whorled or Narrowleaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) This species has a thin stem and long narrow leaves. Several erect umbels branch off at the top of the stems. Flowers are small, erect and grow in clusters of 10 +/-. Seed pods are long, narrow, and smooth. The plant often grows in patches. Found in dry climates, plains, hills, valleys, roadsides, and disturbed grounds. Drought tolerant. Grows well in clay soils and on moderate slopes.
• Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) This species is closely related with the common milkweed, A. syriaca, with which it sometimes hybridizes at the eastern limits of its distribution. These species are similar in appearance and growth form (tall and robust), but can be distinguished by the layer of fine white hairs on speciosa and flowers that look like small crowns. The fibers from this plant were used by Native Americans to make ropes, nets and other items. Unlike A. syriaca, speciosa does not form large clones.
• Zizotes milkweed (Asclepias oenotheroides) The flower of this species is unique among milkweeds. The long, slender hoods extend beyond the stigmatic groove and flare or bow outward at the top. This species survives periodic droughts and occasional mowing even though it has shallow roots. It leafs out and flowers if rains follow a dry period. Plants tend to be scattered and populations appear to have a low density. One of the least conspicuous milkweeds.
• Texas Milkweed (Asclepias texana) Endemic to Texas. Drought tolerant. Grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet and requires full sun. Blooms May-September. Stems are erect, with inconspicuous pubescence lines. The leaves are lance-shape to broadly oval. Small, white flowers are clustered at the end of stems.
• Aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis) Associated with floodplains, waterway margins, marshes, cypress swamps, ditches, and wetlands. This species can be easily identified before the flowers open because the tips of the corollas are pink creating a large pink spot at the top of an unopened flower. The leaves are relatively short and narrow. Grows in areas with soils that are continuously wet. Grows to 18-24 in., full sun.

Additional information is available via our Milkweed Photo Guide and Milkweed Profiles pages.