08/03/2026
We have numerous monarchs in the milkweeds this year! It's our 5th summer here, and it's the first year we've seen more than a scattered few monarchs. The difference?
We expect that these measures we've taken are contributing to more hospitable monarch habitat:
1. Nurturing and monitoring the single milkweed field that existed when we started here;
2. Removing invasives in the milkweed field, including Bull Thistle and Japanese Stiltgrass;
3. Mowing a portion of the milkweed field in May / June, which results in blooms that better coincide with monarch migration patterns. The mowed plants are starting to bloom now, whereas most of our milkweed blooms peaked naturally in early June;
4. Removing a few Sweet Gum trees and thinning the Sweet Gum saplings around the edges of the main milkweed field, which allows more light to the forest floor;
5. Fostering additional milkweed pockets by allowing more light to the forest floor. Simply re-opening old trails and scattered removal of gum tree saplings followed by mowing and/or spraying invasives has allowed the naturaly existing milkweed seed to germinate.
Although mature Monarch butterflies will consume nectar from many plants, their caterpillars eat ONLY Milkweed and therefore require milkweed to survive. Pictured is Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), which is native to Maryland. It is a perennial that requires some sunlight, naturally growing in meadow habitats. BONUS: The blooms of Common Milkweed smell heavenly!
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