Are Native-ONLY Gardens Starving Fall Pollinators❓☠️ 🐝 🦋 😱

Greetings Good GROWer,

I hope you are enjoying the first weekend of fall. In Minnesota, we’ve had a run of unseasonably warm weather here and a surprising surge of late-migrating monarchs. 

We’ve had almost 20 butterflies stocking up on nectar over the past few days, and only THREE of them are potential butterflies we’ve raised. All of these migrators look fresh and ready for their long journey south.

Typically, nectar is scarce this time of the year, especially if you only plant natives.

Natively, our New England Asters are a favorite nectar source for bees, but less for monarchs. I think the butterflies would use it more if there were less ‘smallinators’ buzzing around it. I often see butterflies ‘bumped off’ blooms by wasps and bees.

Other native perennials are past their prime and finished for the season including liatris spp, stiff goldenrod, and tall phlox.

For monarchs, our non-native blooms support the bulk of late-migrating butterflies on their way to Mexico including Mexican sunflowers, zinnias, lantana, and tropical milkweed.

Which leads to the controversial question….

Are Native-ONLY Gardens Starving Migrating Monarchs?

Any late monarchs in our region can usually find nectar inside our surviving asters, nutrient rich soil, and water sources until they find more nectar on their journey south but...having a few annuals on hand provides more nectar-fueled options, especially late in the season.

If you grow annuals in pots, you also have the option to put them into a protected area (or cover them) in the even of an early frost, so you’ll still be able to support fall migrators and other late pollinators with these continuous blooming plants.

More info on planting annuals for the butterfly garden:

Are Native-ONLY Butterfly Gardens Starving Fall Pollinators? ⬅️

Until Next time,

Tony your Butterfly Guide 👋