Fall blooming wildflowers like boneset are critical to the monarch migration.
October 14, 2024 - Texas is home to countless treasures, but one of its most iconic is disappearing before our eyes—the monarch butterfly, our state insect since 1995. Despite this recognition, the monarch’s population has plummeted by 80-90% in recent decades. Why is this happening, and what can we do to reverse the trend?
The monarch is unique in the butterfly world as the only one to undertake a two-way migration spanning thousands of miles. Each fall, monarchs from the eastern United States and Canada journey over 2,000 miles to their wintering grounds in central Mexico. Then, in the spring, they make the return trip north, laying eggs on milkweeds along the way. While each generation lives only a month, the final “super generation” lives up to nine months to make the full migration back to Mexico.
Texas is crucial to the monarch’s lifecycle, serving as both a starting point for the spring migration and a refueling stop during the fall. Monarchs rely on Texas’s nectar-rich wildflowers to build energy reserves for their long journey. Unfortunately, many of the flowering plants they depend on are destroyed before they can be of any benefit.
The biggest issue in Texas? Mowing at the worst possible time—during the fall migration. Our roadsides, pastures, and rights-of-way, once filled with vital nectar sources, are routinely mowed just before monarchs are passing through. This practice leaves the butterflies with limited resources and jeopardizes the success of their journey.
However, there is a simple solution: Do not mow until after the first frost. By delaying mowing until November or even later in winter, we can preserve essential nectar sources for monarchs and other pollinators. The cooler temperatures and shorter days of late fall mean a delayed mowing schedule has little impact on roadside safety or pasture management. This small change can have a huge impact, not just for monarchs, but for all pollinators gearing up for winter.
Gardeners can also make a difference by planting more fall-blooming flowers that monarchs and other pollinators love. Consider adding blue mist flower (Conoclinium sp.), cigar plant (Cuphea micropetala), fall aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), Mexican mint marigold (Tagetes lucida), and Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus drummondii).
Our gardens and landscapes are more than just pretty places. They can serve as refuges for struggling wildlife species like the monarch. By planting milkweeds for caterpillars and a variety of fall-blooming nectar plants, we provide monarchs with the resources they need to complete their migration and lay the groundwork for future generations.
Nature does not need to be neat and tidy. Leaving natural patches untouched and mowing only once a year after frost are simple but powerful steps we can all take to support the monarch’s survival.
Greg Grant is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. He is the author of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Texas Home Landscaping, Heirloom Gardening in the South, and The Rose Rustlers. You can read his “Greg’s Ramblings” blog at arborgate.com, read his “In Greg’s Garden” in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com), or follow him on Facebook at “Greg Grant Gardens.” More science-based lawn and gardening information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service can be found at aggieturf.tamu.edu and aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu.
