Migrating Monarch Conservation Gardening

Migrating Monarch Conservation Gardening by Brionna McCumber

This past winter, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a rule to list monarch butterflies as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The iconic migration along the east side of the Rocky Mountains sees monarchs flying from as far north as Canada down to the Oyamel forests in Mexico. Most of these butterflies travel through the Great Plains region of the United States, with the Front Range serving as the western boundary of their migratory pathway.

Starting in March, monarchs begin their journey north again, reproducing and laying eggs along the way. Their northward migration continues over multiple generations, limited by the availability of milkweed host plants and nectar sources for adult butterflies. This cycle persists throughout the summer until late August, when the migration south begins once more.

In December 2024, the overwintering populations occupied 4.42 acres of forest in Mexico—nearly double the 2.22 acres recorded in December 2023. While this population increase is exciting news, 2024 still marked the second-lowest year of overwintering monarchs in the past decade. This data, along with the proposed conservation status, highlights the importance of continued conservation efforts for these magnificent butterflies.

The Gardens on Spring Creek actively participates in monarch conservation as a registered Monarch Waystation, providing essential host plants, nectar plants, and shelter for these vital pollinators. For more information about the Monarch Waystation program, visit MonarchWatch.org.

Gardeners in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado can support monarch populations by creating suitable habitats in their home gardens. In addition to planting milkweed, incorporating preferred nectar sources can attract not only monarchs but also a variety of native pollinators.

Determining which plants are best for your garden can be overwhelming. We’ve compiled a list of recommended plant species to support monarchs, based on the most recent scientific findings:

Sources: Source: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecs2.70085 and https://www.xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/19-019.pdf

(Spaeth et al, https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecs2.70085), (MonarchWatch.org), (Xerces Society: https://www.xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/19-019.pdf).

Monarchs and Marigolds in Día de Muertos Celebrations

By Angie Fuentes The Gardens on Spring Creek Community Engagement Assistant Monarchs Each year, right around Día de Muertos, millions of monarch butterflies arrive like clockwork to the misty mountains of central Mexico. Their appearance during this sacred time holds deep meaning for the communities of Michoacán and the State of Mexico, where the butterflies are seen as the returning souls of ancestors visiting the living. For generations, the Purépecha and Mazahua peoples, two Indigenous groups native to this region, have watched the skies fill with these migrating monarchs, their wings shimmering like a flowing river of orange and gold across the Sierra Madre hills. The butterflies’ arrival has been carefully observed since pre-Hispanic times, marking a spiritual moment when nature and the human spirit move in harmony. According to oral traditions, the spirits of the departed return on the butterflies’ delicate wings, joining their loved ones during Día de Muertos to celebra...

Blooming Blurb: Winter Interest, Native Plants Turning Red

By Kate Watson, Gardener As temperatures drop and summer blooms wilt, there are still many beautiful plants that can add winter interest to your garden. I am partial to the native species that bring warm red tones to a landscape. Here we’ll look at four plant species, native to Colorado, that turn red during winter and are found in The Gardens on Spring Creek. Creeping Oregon Grape Holly ( Berberis repens ) Creeping Oregon grape holly, Berberis repens (formerly Mahonia repens ), also known as creeping mahonia or barberry, is a low-growing evergreen shrub native to western and central North America. Often 1-3 feet tall and at least as wide, it has broad leathery leaves bordered by small spiny teeth, similar to holly leaves. While not a true holly, which refers to the Ilex genus, Berberis repens also forms berries. The berries are dark blue, resembling grapes, hence the common name “grape holly.” In winter the foliage turns red to dark purple when exposed to ...

When Plants Fight Back

By Andrew Scott, Horticulturist for The Gardens on Spring Creek This is the second installment of a two-part feature on plant defenses. Read Part I online at North Forty News . Caffeine, nicotine, morphine, cocaine ... sounds like the ingredients label on an old-timey cold medicine, right? These molecules are actually all alkaloids, some of the most common chemical deterrents deployed by plants. As the adage goes, the dose makes the poison. While people can (and do) ingest these alkaloids for their psychoactive effects, they prove to be much more deadly to a small insect that weighs all but a few tenths of a milligram. The sap of opium poppies ( Papaver somniferum ) contains morphine, a potent sedative (via Daniel Prudek , Hodder Education Magazines) Still, alkaloids have a strongly bitter taste, which animals have learned to associate with the toxic effects they can have. Eating green potatoes isn’t likely to kill you, but solanine, the alkaloid that triggers this change...

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