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/

Click here to view an interview with one of our volunteers, Mary Green, about the benefits of planting Monarch Waystations.

Plant list

A wild bergamot – Monarda fistulosa

B showy milkweed – Asclepias speciosa

C zinnia – Zinnia elegans

D dense blazing star – Liatris spicata

E butterflyweed – Asclepias tuberosa ‘Hello Yellow’

F common milkweed – Asclepias syriaca

G brown-eyed Susan – Rudbeckia triloba

H summer jewel salvia – Salvia coccinea

I spotted bee balm – Monarda punctata

J Mexican sunflower – Tithonia rotundifolia

K marigold – Tagetes patula

L poke milkweed – Asclepias exaltata

M rose milkweed – ‘Ice Ballet’

N coreopsis/tickseed – Coreopsis palmata

O cardinal climber vine – Ipomoea sloteri

P false sunflower – Heliopsis helianthoides

Q New England aster – Symphyotrichum novae-anglia

S whorled milkweed – Asclepias verticillata

Garden map

Plant photo gallery