M onarch Waystations Creating habitats for monarchs, and other - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

M onarch Waystations

Creating habitats for monarchs, and other butterflies and pollinators

Monarch Magic

Monarch Watch is a University of Kansas

• utreach program

focusing on education, research and conservation

• f monarchs.

M o n ar ch Wat ch M ig r at io n M ap

Now showing at the Cincinnati M useum Center OM NIM AX Theater through June 2013

• Overwintering Monarchs once occupied 50 acres;

this past year only 2.94 acres.

• This past winter there were 1/15th as many

butterflies as in 1997.

• In the past year alone, there was a 59% decline.

Scar y St at ist ics

Due to development, we lose 6,000 acres a day. That’s 2.2 million a year! Widespread commercial spraying of corn and soybeans kills all other plants, including milkweed.

The primary problem in the U.S. is loss of habitat

Monarch Waystations: provide essential milkweeds and nectar for monarchs as well as habitats for other butterflies and pollinators.

M onarch Waystations are sponsored by M onarch Watch an

• utreach program at the University of Kansas that focuses on the

monarch butterfly, its habitat, and its spectacular fall migration.

Monarch Watch Registry of Certified Monarch Waystations Worldwide 6,169

Louisville 6 Frankfort 2 Lexington 2 Berea 1

Kentucky 35

Let’s change these numbers!

Tennessee 80 Missouri 138 Indiana 248 Ohio 358

T he weatherproof sign is a good way to let others know about monarchs, milkweeds, and waystations.

Monarch Watch Requirements for a Certified Monarch Waystation

• 1. Determine size and location (butterfly plants need sun)

Recommended minimum size is 100 sq. ft.

• 2. Plant 10 or more milkweeds –

Preferably at least 2 different species

• 3. Plant 4 or more nectar plants
• 4. Use suggested management practices
• 5. Register your Waystation with Monarch Watch

You do not have to start from scratch!

If your garden already meets these requirements, we hope you will register soon!

“Without milkweeds there can be no monarchs” – Douglas Tallamy

A certified Monarch Waystation must contain a minimum of 10 milkweeds – preferably at least 2 different kinds.

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

• Blossoms smell heavenly
• Monarch lay eggs on it
• Attracts many pollinators

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

• 3-5 ft. tall
• Blooms early June
• Drought resistant

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

3-5 ft. tall, blooms June – July, attracts many pollinators

Spicebush Swallowtails

Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) 2-3 ft

blooms June – July, seed pods in late Fall

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

2-3 ft. tall, blooms July – August

Non-native annual, blooms July until frost, definitely attracts monarchs

Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)

CAUTION:

The white sap of all milkweeds is poisonous and the sap of the tropical milkweed is especially so.

Monarch Watch Requirements for a Certified Monarch Waystation

• 1. Determine size and location (plants need some sun)

Recommended minimum size is 100 sq. ft

• 2. Plant 10 or more milkweeds –

Preferably at least 2 different species

• 3. Plant 4 or more nectar plants
• 4. Use suggested management practices
• 5. Register your Waystation with Monarch Watch

A Monarch Waystation also requires a minimum of 4 nectar plants

25 Native Kentucky Plants

Common name Scientific name Type Light Pref. Moisture Flowers Height Note SPRING Spicebush* Lindera benzoin shrub sun, shade avg March-April 5-9’ Host for Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies Redbud Cercis canadensis tree sun, part shade avg April 12-25’ Early source of nectar Wild Columbine Aquilegia canadensis perennial shade, sun avg May-June 1-2’ Attracts hummingbirds Blueberries Vaccinium spp. shrub sun, part shade avg May 3-4’ Birds feed on berries; colorful fall foliage Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens vine sun, light shade avg April-Oct Red tubular flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds, attracts butterflies and birds year around; this vine is not invasive Arrow-wood Viburnum* Viburnum dentatum shrub sun, part shade avg April-May 4-15’ Birds feed on blue berries; host for Tawny Emperor butterflies Dutchman’s Pipevine* Aristolochia tomentosa vine sun, part shade avg May-June Host for Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies; Aristolochia macrophylla similar species Blue False Indigo Baptisia australis perennial sun avg May-June 3-5’ Large showy deep-blue flowers; attractive blue-green foliage Virginia Sweetspire* Itea virginica shrub sun, part shade avg May-June 3-6’ Host for Azure butterflies; excellent early nectar source Golden Alexander and non-native Parsley, Dill, Fennel, Carrots, and other plants in the carrot family Hosts for Black Swallowtail butterflies SUMMER Button Bush Cephalanthus

• ccidentalis

shrub sun moist-avg June-July 5-15’ White round flower-heads attractive to butterflies and other pollinators Scarlet Bee Balm Monarda didyma perennial sun avg June 3-4’ Bright red flowers; attracts hummingbirds and butterflies Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea perennial sun, part shade avg June-August 3-4’ Host for Silvery Checkerspot butterflies; attracts numerous butterflies Common Milkweed* Asclepias syriaca perennial sun, part shade avg-moist June 3-5’ Host of Monarch butterflies; excellent source of nectar Purple Milkweed* Asclepias purpurea perennial sun avg-moist June-July 2-3’ Host of Monarch butterflies; excellent source of nectar Swamp Milkweed* Asclepias incarnata perennial sun avg-moist July-August 4-5’ Host of Monarch butterflies; excellent source of nectar Butterfly Weed* Asclepias tuberosa perennial sun avg June-July 2-3’ Host of Monarch butterflies; excellent source of nectar Tropical Milkweed * Asclepias curassavica Annual (non- native) sun avg July-frost 3-5’ Host of Monarch butterflies; excellent source of nectar

Twenty-five Kentucky Native Plants that attract Butterflies, other Pollinators and Birds

Azures nectaring on host plant Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)

SPRING

Spring Butterflies at Natural Bridge

American Lady on Robin’s Plantain Swallowtail on Bladdernut Pipevine Swallowtail on Blue Phlox Tiger Swallowtail on Azalea Spicebush Swallowtail on Ragwort

Silvery Checkerspot

• n host plant

American Lady Variegated Fritillary Monarch Sulphur Red Admiral Great Spangled Fritillary Black Swallowtail Tiger Swallowtail

SUMMER

Purple Coneflower

(Echinacea purpurea)

Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)

Remember! Milkweeds are great nectar plants as well as host plants for monarchs.

Mist Flower (Eupatorium coelestinum)

FALL

Gray Hairstreak Fiery Skipper Common Buckeye

g

Golden Aster (Chrysopsis villosa)

Pearl Crescent on host plant New England Aster Sulphur Monarch Variegated Fritillary

New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)

• 1. Manage density of plants
• 2. Eliminate pesticides and herbicides
• 3. Cut back old growth, preferably in spring

Waystation Management Practices

Monarch Watch Requirements for a Certified Monarch Waystation

• 1. Determine size and location (plants need some sun)

Recommended minimum size is 100 sq. ft

• 2. Plant 10 or more milkweeds –

Preferably at least 2 different species

• 3. Plant 4 or more nectar plants
• 4. Use suggested management practices
• 5. Register your Waystation with Monarch Watch

Please certify your Monarch Waystation

http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/certify.html

And if you let Doug Rigsby know of your certification by October 1, you will be eligible for a drawing of prizes at our October meeting!

Please plant milkweeds and please certify!