CREATE
HABITAT
Creating monarch butterfly habitat on your own property or within your community is one of the best ways to help monarchs and other pollinators.
PLANT NATIVE NECTAR PLANTS
Although monarch butterflies drink nectar from a variety of native and nonnative plants, we recommend planting native plants! Because California native plants are adapted to survive in California's dry summers, native plants require less water to stay alive and support other local pollinators in the ecosystem.
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Monarchs can be found throughout inland Monterey County all year, so planting trees, bushes, and wildflowers that bloom throughout the year helps provide a continual food source. Because monarchs migrate to overwintering sites on the coast in late fall and migrate from overwintering sites in early spring, planting nectar plants that bloom during these times is especially important for our region. Near overwintering sites on the coast, monarchs may use plants that bloom during the winter.
Native Nectar Plants
A Calscape plant list compiled by MRMA, with plants specifically beneficial for monarchs in the coastal Monterey County area.
Native Nectar Plants
Calscape is is a helpful tool that allows CA residents to find plants native to their specific location and get tips on how to grow them.
Native Nectar Plants
A Calscape plant list compiled by MRMA, with plants specifically beneficial for monarchs in the inland areas of Monterey County.
Native Nectar Plants
The Calfornia Native Plant Society website includes a webinar focused on “Choosing Plants” that includes a tutorial on Calscape.
Native Nectar Plants
The Xerces Society compiles lists of beneficial plants for pollinators and other beneficial species. Lists are available for regions across the US.
PLANT NATIVE MILKWEEDS
...BUT NOT ON THE COAST!
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Monarchs cannot exist without milkweed. Adult monarchs lay their eggs exclusively on milkweed and use the flowers for nectar. Several species of milkweeds are native to Monterey County, but milkweeds generally do not grow near the coast in Central California. Monarchs in coastal California do not need milkweed! In fact, planting milkweed within 5 miles of the coast can disrupt the monarch lifecycle and is not recommended.
If you live at least 5 miles away from the coast, you can help monarchs by planting pesticide-free native milkweeds. All are perennial herbs that die back in the winter. The four species of milkweed native to Monterey County include:
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Asclepias californica (California milkweed)
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Asclepias eriocarpa (woolly-pod milkweed or Indian milkweed)
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Asclepias fascicularis (narrow leaf milkweed). This is the most common and can be grown from seed or plugs.
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Asclepias vestita (woolly milkweed)
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If you are working in large landscapes, we recommend grouping milkweed plants in small to mid-sized patches (5-50 plants or stems) rather than as isolated or very large patches. Single, scattered plants may not support the full development of monarch caterpillars, and research has shown that monarchs prefer to lay eggs in milkweed patches smaller than 8,500 ft2.
Native Milkweed
A 3-page guide from Xerces Society which covers where to plant milkweed, which milkweed species to plant, and how to establish plants from seeds, transplants, or rhizomes.
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Photo by John Anderson
Native Milkweed
A Monarch Watch guide to milkweed, including plant species guides and information on leaf damage and common pests.
The section on plant propagation includes germination, thinning, seed beds, harvest and storage of seeds, stratification, heat shocking, and scarification.
Native Milkweed
This guide from Monarch Joint Venture includes information on starting milkweed seeds Inside, growing milkweed for indoor use, starting milkweed seeds outside, and planting milkweed plugs, along with links to additional resources.
AVOID TROPICAL MILKWEED
Tropical milkweed is widely popular and is the most commonly sold milkweed in retail plant stores. Monarchs do lay eggs on tropical milkweed, but planting it is not recommended by most experts.
Unlike native milkweeds, tropical milkweed does not die back in winter. This allows tropical milkweed plants to accumulate a parasite, OE (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha), that can be deadly to monarchs. Additionally, the presence of tropical milkweed when monarchs would typically be entering reproductive diapause (not breeding) can cause monarchs to breed during the winter, disrupting the migratory life cycle.
There is some controversy over whether monarchs breeding in winter is bad for the overall western monarch population, and research into this topic is ongoing. However, planting native milkweed is a safer and widely recommended alternative to planting tropical milkweed.
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For existing stands of tropical milkweed, the risk of infecting monarchs with OE can be reduced by cutting plants to the ground in fall and throughout the winter to mimic winter dieback in native milkweeds.
Tropical Milkweed
A blog post from the Xerces Society covering the impact of tropical milkweeds on monarch migration and reproduction, as well as what you can do to help in your own backyard and beyond.
Tropical Milkweed
A Monarch Joint Venture blog post about the impact of tropical milkweed on monarch populations. Includes links to approved monarch vendors and other resources for conservation.
GO PESTICIDE FREE
"Pesticide" is an umbrella term that includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and rodenticides. Because monarch butterflies are insects, insecticides are particularly important to avoid in monarch-friendly habitat.
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In general, there is a lack of research on the toxicity of pesticides to monarchs, but research suggests that pesticides play a role in contributing to the decline of butterfly populations. Even if a pollinator is not immediately killed by a pesticide, exposure can result in sublethal effects which can accumulate over time to impact populations.
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Importantly, even if a pesticide is labeled “Organic”, it can still be harmful to monarch butterflies and other beneficial insects. "Organic" doesn't mean "non-toxic."
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Alternatives to chemical pest control in the garden include hand-weeding, removing habitat features that support garden pests, increasing habitat for beneficial insects, and learning to tolerate some plant damage.
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When buying plants from nurseries, make sure they were not treated with pesticides. A recent study found that many milkweed plants purchased from retail nurseries had dangerous levels of pesticides, and that plants labeled wildlife-friendly were no less likely to have pesticide contamination. You can help by asking your local nursery to carry pesticide-free regionally-sourced native plants.
Go Pesticide Free
A Xerces Society discussion covering pesticide history and regulation, as well as common types of pesticides and concerns.
Go Pesticide Free
Resources from Xerces Society, including support for more ecologically friendly pest control.
Photo: Xerces Society / Mace Vaughan
Go Pesticide Free
A Xerces Society discussion of the most widely used class of insecticides in the world, including the dangers they pose to pollinators like monarchs, and their impact on aquatic ecosystems.
Go Pesticide Free
This guide from the Xerces Society, Buying Bee-Safe Plants, covers four ways to help you find plants that are safe for bees and monarch butterflies, and includes tips and questions you can ask when you are at the nursery.
Go Pesticide Free
A discussion from the Monarch Joint Venture about how pesticides can affect monarchs and other pollinators, with specific focus on neonicotinoids and links to additional resources.
FIND ASSISTANCE & FUNDING
Assistance & Funding
Xerces provides native, regionally appropriate plant material and resources to individuals and organizations with shovel-ready projects. The Call for Proposals opens annually.
Assistance & Funding
EQIP , a program of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands.
Assistance & Funding
Master Gardeners offer gardening advice, manage native plant sales, provide online and in-person classes, and work in local community gardens throughout Monterey and Santa Cruz County.
Assistance & Funding
The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and Marina Coast Water District offer financial incentives for replacing lawns with drought-resistant plants, which can benefit monarchs and pollinators.
FIND NATIVE PLANT NURSERIES
Monterey County
831-659-2830
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Located in Carmel Valley. Retail and wholesale, open by appointment only. Delivery options available.​
Monterey County
8 Aliso Road
Carmel Valley, CA 93924
831-747-7756
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Offers online ordering and curbside pickup.
Santa Cruz County
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2660 East Lake Avenue (Hwy 152)
Watsonville, CA 95076
831-728-2532
Retail plant shop.
Santa Cruz County
336A Golf Club Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-459-0655
Appointments, online sales, and botanical consultations
Monterey County
850 Park Avenue
Monterey, CA 93940
831-375-2120
Native and nonnative plants available. Retail or wholesale.
Santa Cruz County
400 Casserly Road
Watsonville, CA 95076
831-728-2595
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Wholesale only.
Monterey County
7480 Williams Ranch Road
Carmel, CA 93923
831-659-2830
Offers wholesale and contract-grow only.
Santa Cruz County
UC Santa Cruz Arboretum Arboretum Road
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Online and in-person sales, plants grown at the UCSC Arboretum.
FIND NATIVE SEED SOURCES
Native Plant Seeds
21905 County Road 88
Winters, CA 95694
530-662-6847
Wholesale, $200 minimum order, $500 minimum for custom mixes.
Native Plant Seeds
Carpinteria, CA
888-695-5450
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Commercial sales only, large amounts of seed available for projects 1+ acres
Native Plant Seeds
P.O. Box 96
Freedom, CA 95019
Seeds from plants grown in Pajaro Valley. Online and mail ordering. Small amounts available - no min.
Native Plant Seeds
Box 337
La Honda, CA 94020
Email: orders@jlhudsonseeds.net
A public access seed bank offering small amounts online or by mail.
Native Plant Seeds
Salt Lake City, UT
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Small amounts available for order. Offers specific ecotypes to ensure the most locally adapted grasses, wildflowers, and forbs available for California landowners.
Native Plant Seeds
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10459 Tuxford Street
Sun Valley, CA 91352
818-768-1802
Small and Large amounts available
Native Plant Seeds
Monterey Public Library Seed Library
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625 Pacific Street
Monterey, CA 93940
831-646-3741
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Free seeds.
Native Plant Seeds
1783 Buerkle Circle
St. Paul, MN, USA 55110
866-914-7373
Offer bulk pollinator-friendly seed mixes for a minimum of 0.5 acres.
Native Plant Seeds
This interactive map tool helps gardeners and landscapers find locations to purchase specific species of milkweed seed local to your area..
FIND LOCAL PLANT SALES
Local Plant Sale
Hosts sales throughout the year. Focus on pollinator friendly flowes..
