Bountiful Monarchs – A very good year in the prairie
When we planted our prairie patch 10 years ago, one goal was to provide butterfly habitat. In the ensuing years, we’ve seen an uptick in pollinators. Bees of many varieties. A wealth of dragonflies. Yet only a few butterflies. Only the occasional monarch.
Until this year.
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Monarch enjoying butterfly milkweed.
This year, butterflies are everywhere. Especially monarchs. Each time I walk out into our yard, I’m greeted by monarchs flitting in and around the prairie. It’s not a matter of if I’ll see one. Rather, it’s how many I’ll see.
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A wealth of common milkweed provide welcome habitat.
I don’t know why this year has been better than others. Does a prairie need to be mature enough? Does it need to be large enough? Do we need the right balance of plants? Do they need the oppressively hot and humid weather we’ve experienced this summer?
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A monarch caterpillar lunches on milkweed.
Perhaps the monarchs discovered they have another reliable stop for their long migration.
Two decades ago, Iowa joined a 16-state regional plan focused on providing 7 million acres of habitat for monarch migration.
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Another butterfly enjoys butterfly milkweed. Can you identify this beauty?
A recent drive through northeast Iowa revealed that farmers are getting on board. Acre patches are devoted to native plants. Counties are seeding rural roadways to native flowers. In addition to butterfly habitat, these patches provide a colorful break from fields of corn and soybeans that reach to the horizon.
We doubled the size of our prairie two years ago. Our patch is less than half an acre, but it’s something. It will take time for the new space to mature, but we already have a multitude of useful plants – cup plants, butterfly milkweed, common milkweed, sweet blackeyed Susan. All attractive to butterflies.
The monarch butterflies make me hopeful for the future. I hope we’re lucky enough to host so many – or more – in future years.
Have you noticed an increase in butterflies this year? Have you added plants to your garden to help pollinators? Can you identify the orange butterfly in the last photo? Please leave a note.
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