Monarch Waystation Garden

A certified Monarch Waystation provides food and nectar for monarchs navigating during the spring months from their winter homes in Mexico up to the northern US states and Canada for summer before returning to their winter hibernation sites in the mountains of Mexico. Female monarchs lay eggs multiple times during the migration process of their transcontinental journey, which means providing nectar and nesting places along the migration route is critical for survival of the species.

The goal of a Monarch Waystation Garden is to provide flowers in bloom throughout the spring and fall, the migratory seasons when the monarchs are in our state. Flowers with multiple florets that produce abundant nectar are ideal. All native milkweed plants are a great host for many types of butterflies but, more importantly, the common milkweed is the only food source for monarch caterpillars. 

Milkweed comes in a lovely variety of colors and textures, including the pale pink of common milkweed (aclepias syriaca), the bright orange of Butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa), the milky white whorled milkweed (asclepias verticillata) and the pure pink of the Swamp milkweed (asclepias incarnata). 

A monarch garden can be a functional and beautiful retreat for butterflies and human garden visitors alike!

Information about creating a certified Monarch Waystation can be found here: https://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/

Plant list

A heath aster – Aster ericoides

B marigold – Tagetes patula

C dense blazing star – Liatris spicata

D measow blazing star – Liatris ligulistylis

E purple coneflower – Echinacea purpurea

F Culver’s root – Veronicastrum virginicum

G Joe Pye weed – Eupatorium maculatum

H spotted monarda – Monarda punctata

I smooth penstemon – Penstemon digitalis

J fragrant anise hyssop – Agastache fueniculum

K wild bergamot – Monarda fistulosa

L rose milkweed – Asclepias incarnata

M butterflyweed – Asclepias tuberosa

N whorled milkweed – Asclepias verticillata

O prairie smoke – Geum triforum

P brown-eyed Susan – Rudbeckia triloba

Q blue vervain – Verbena hastata

R ironweed – Vernonia noveboracensis

S Mexican sunflower – Tithonia rotundifolia

T coreopsis/tickseed – Coreopsis palmata

U zinnia – zinnia elegans

V black-eyed Susan – Rudbeckia birta

W U of MN Monarch Waystation sign

X Monarch Watch sign

Y Trellis

Garden map

Plant photo gallery