contributed by Janis Silveri
The below information was obtained from the Monarch Joint Venture.
We have had a few inquiries about what to do in light of the recent freeze. Short answer – we hope those plants have a chance to bounce back before the height of the migration in the coming weeks.
We are beginning to get reports of good looking sprouts from the San Antonio and Austin areas. With the recent warm up, we expect to see more sprouts any time now. We encourage a diversified habitat with native plants so that in the face of catastrophic events, we can offer the best chance of having resources from year to year. According to some of our partners, nectar plants took a hit and some early species are in short supply this year. Some trees like Hackberries had their buds frozen. Plum thickets, Mexican Plum trees, Blackberries, Henbit, Dandelions, Vetches, non-woody salvias, penstemons, Barbara’s Buttons, and skullcaps all seem to be doing fine and should offer nectar resources soon. Things that really did not do well were all the tropical/subtropical plants people grow in Houston, San Antonio and the Valley near the Mexican border. We are recommending that people leave their lawn weeds in place this year–no removal of Henbit, Dandelions, etc.. The butterflies and bees will really need them. In some cases, that’s about all that’s blooming.
Things to look for at your local nurseries:
- Pentas
- Porterweed
- Duranta
- Zinnias (the kind with not too many petals in the center)
- Phlox (some native, some not)
- Verbenas (some native, some not)
- non-native salvias like Salvia nemoralis
- Gauras ( these are native!)
- Redbuds
- Texas Mountain Laurels
I would not recommend sugar water supplements, rotten fruit, or watermelon because butterflies will best meet their nutritional needs by foraging on native plants.
There are many of our partner organizations with whom you can connect in Texas: Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Cibolo Nature Center, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Native Plant Society of Texas, Spring Creek Education Society, Armand Bayou Nature Center, Texas Butterfly Ranch to name just a few. Many of these orgs offer educational materials and programming that can be facilitated virtually. As for connecting with the monarch migration, the J&M Butterfly B and B does have virtual experiences. As for things that can be done at a city-wide level, the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge is a great way to engage at an official level.
Kiley Friedrich
(she/her/hers)
Agriculture Program Coordinator
Monarch Joint Venture
Pollinator Habitat Help Desk
(833) 645-5933 or (833) MILKWEE
kiley@monarchjointventure.org
The Monarch Joint Venture is a national partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academic programs working together to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. The content in this email does not necessarily reflect the positions of all Monarch Joint Venture partners.
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