Grow Narrow Leaf Milkweed, Grow Monarch Butterflies! (Seed Packet Information Handout)

Monarch in Palo Alto, May 2022 

Grow Narrow Leaf Milkweed, Grow Monarch Butterflies!

Below is the handout that I have been sending out with packets of Narrow Leaf Milkweed seeds. I thought it would be a good idea to save it here so that it is universally accessible.

              

Narrow Leaf Milkweed Plant

                     

Monarch Chrysalis

   

Monarch Caterpillar

By planting these seeds, you’re helping to save monarch butterflies from extinction.  Thank you!  While adult monarchs gain nourishment from a variety of nectar sources, their young eat only asclepias (milkweed).  While many types of  milkweed grow across the United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area just  Narrow Leaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) has grown here historically. Since tropical milkweed can harbor disease, it is best to stick to local natives.  By growing this packet of milkweed, you’re restoring lost wildlife habitat, saving a threatened species, and  enhancing your gardening experience. I hope you find many opportunities to enjoy the beauty of these plants, the colorful caterpillars, variety of pollinators, and the dance of life in your garden. Enjoy! 

PS: If you want to feel empowered to fight back against the effects of climate change by using your own back yard, apartment balcony, or community garden, start with this video: https://bit.ly/Tallamy-CAPlants

Narrow Leaf Milkweed – Planting Instructions:

Spring and summer are ideal times to get milkweed started and established before it goes dormant in the winter. In a pot:  Start seeds in 4” pots in potting soil, 2-3 seeds  per pot, either outside or under a grow light. Transplant to garden when seedlings are a few inches tall.  

In the garden: Choose a spacious site in full sun. Prepare your soil (or several very large pots), by removing all existing growth and debris. If your soil is clay, break it up with some compost or cactus soil (sold at nurseries). Water thoroughly to help seeds settle into the soil. Continue to water a few times a week so they don’t dry out after germinating. For more ideas see this handout: https://bit.ly/Milkweed-from-Seed  and this article: https://bit.ly/Milkweed-Article

Important: In order to provide abundant leaves for caterpillars and avoid an ‘ecological trap’ where they run out of food, make sure you grow these in a sunny spacious spot, in a mass planting, where each plant can mature to 12” in diameter by 4’ tall. Plant along garden and path ‘edges,’ if possible, to help female monarchs easily locate the milkweed, where they will lay one or two tiny eggs on each plant. Just a few caterpillars can eat a whole plant, so grow as much as you can. In small yards grow a grouping of these in very large pots. Partner with your neighbors to create a monarch ‘corridor’ with milkweed and nectar plants in your gardens.

After you plant your seeds or transplants, let the area ‘go natural’ by leaving the leaf litter on the ground. While Monarchs go into chrysalis on stems or other hard surfaces like branches, many other butterflies go into chrysalis in the debris. If you rake or blow it, you could accidentally throw them away. Avoid using pesticides anywhere in your garden, it will kill the monarchs and beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies, moths, and ladybugs that you are trying to attract. Try to ignore bugs as they are part of the ecosystem (ie: hummingbirds eat aphids). If you hose the plant or try to remove pests you may kill tiny monarch caterpillars or dislodge monarch eggs.  Avoid herbicides as they also poison the ecosystem you are trying to nurture. 

Seeds per packet: 80-90, enough for 40-50 plants. Days to Emerge: 14–28 Days ~ Seed Depth: Press into surface ~ Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 10"–12“ ~ Thinning: When 3" tall, thin to 1 every 10"–12"  Note: milkweed goes dormant in late summer, so don’t worry if you see it die back, it will return even stronger in the spring. You might create a small ring of stones to mark this dormant spot in your garden.

Coastal gardeners should avoid planting milkweeds, as these plants typically grew inland at least 5 miles from the coast. Growing them on the coast may draw Monarchs away from migratory patterns, and some milkweeds may not do well in damp and fog. If the plant fails, so will the caterpillars and that batch of eggs will have been wasted. But coastal gardeners can still help by planting much needed nectar plants that will nourish adult Monarchs.

Ways you can help save the Monarchs:

Grow native California nectar plants to feed adult Monarchs:

https://bit.ly/MonarchNectarCA

Learn more about saving Monarchs:

https://bit.ly/XercesSaveMonarchs

https://monarchjointventure.org/

https://www.fws.gov/savethemonarch/

Plant Milkweed appropriate for your region to feed Monarch caterpillars. In Bay Area, plant Narrow Leaf Milkweed, a. fasciciularis and Showy Milkweed, a. speciosa (avoid Tropical Milkweed, a. curvasica):

https://bit.ly/NarrowLeaf-LarnerSeeds

https://bit.ly/Narrowleaf-Bot-Interests

Appreciate the many species that utilize milkweed:

https://bit.ly/Milkweed-NotJustForMonarchs

Recognize that Monarchs are just one of many threatened species and plant native host plants that will feed other butterflies as well:

https://bit.ly/Calscape-CA-Butterflies

Avoid pesticides and herbicides as they are detrimental to the natural plant and insect systems that have evolved over thousands of years.

Grow native plants that have co-evolved with all of our local butterflies, moths, bees, birds and other fauna. 

Beyond Monarchs – Resources for Other Butterflies 

and Growing the Native Plants They Need

Check out the California Native Plant Society (CNPS). It is the leading organization with reliable information about native plants, and has great resources including YouTube videos, chapter gatherings, online plant sales. https://bit.ly/CNPSChapters

Want to find more California Native plants specific to your area, and the butterflies that use them as host plants? Then check out this amazing database, which links to nurseries:  Calscape.org

Seek answers to these questions (some of my favorite videos):  

Why should we grow native plants to save birds and butterflies? NY Times Bestseller of “Nature’s Best Hope” Doug Tallamy gives an inspiring call to action here: https://bit.ly/TallamyCNPS2020 

How can you restore nature in your garden? Dennis Mudd shares his insights: https://bit.ly/DennisMudd

When should you plant, water, prune, or leave things alone? Helen Popper shares a month-by-month guide for California gardeners: https://bit.ly/HelenPopper

What planting methods and soil will ensure success? Haven Kiers from UC Davis shares research: https://bit.ly/HavenKiers

Looking for more native seeds? Check out the great selection at Larnerseed.com, various mixes at PCSeed.com (also botanicalinterests.com sells “California Color” and “Narrow Leaf Milkweed”).

Need Plants? Find nurseries and plant sales at: https://bit.ly/CNPSnurseryList

Also: CNLnatives.com, YerbaBuenaNursery.com, AnniesAnnuals.com, WegmansNursery.com, SummerWindsNursery.com

Field Trip! Want to see most of California’s native habitats in one location? Check out the Regional Botanic Garden in Tilden Park (it’s free): Nativeplants.org

Join the movement! Register your native garden (or the section that is native, like this milkweed) as part of the Homegrown National Park (it is free!). Or go the extra mile by making a gift to help recapture 20 million acres for native butterflies, bees, and birds:  https://bit.ly/HomeGrownNationalPark                     

All content and images (c) Jennifer Dirking, 2022