The blossoming butterfly buffet of goldenrod, swamp sunflower, and sneezeweed along roadsides, across fields, and in gardens signals fall migration time for monarch butterflies. During spring and summer, monarch butterflies breed throughout the U.S. and southern Canada.
In fall, the eastern monarch population migrates to Mexico. Some travel a distance of 3,000 miles. These long distance daytime migrants consume a diet of sugar, amino acids and fatty acids obtained by nectaring on flowers. Monarchs gain weight as their body converts nectar to fat. The fat is stored in their abdomen and becomes the energy used to fuel the flight to Mexico. More importantly, fat is the only reserve food available to them during a five month fast from November to March while overwintering in the Oyamel forests, a mountain habitat of central Mexico. The fat reserve must also fuel the monarch’s spring migration north to Texas as they develop their reproductive organs, breed, lay eggs and then die. The eggs laid become the first of four generations to journey north annually.
Gardeners can provide a fall feast of high nectar plants for monarchs. It takes timing plants to bloom when monarchs pass through the Midlands. The following selection of native perennials bloom late summer through fall in South Carolina: •New England aster—Symphyotrichum novae-angliae •False boneset—Brickellia eupatorioides •New York Ironweed—Vernonia noveborancensis •Giant Ironweed—Vernonia gigantea •Blue mistflower—Conoclinium coelestinum •Obedient plant— Physostegia virginiana •Bitter Sneezeweed—Helenium amarum •Swamp sunflower— Helianthus augustifolius •Woodland sunflower— Helianthus divaricatus •Camphorweed—Pluchea odorata
Two non-native nectar plants visited by monarchs in the midlands are Lantana camara and Tithonia rotundifolia.
In fall, milkweed, the monarch’s larval host plant, is senescing. But native milkweed is a perennial and returns in spring for the life cycle of the monarch to continue. While the adult monarch is a generalist when it comes to nectar sources, the larvae are specialists requiring milkweed for metamorphosis.
Monarch is nectaring on S.C. state wildflower, goldenrod.
Of the 75 species of milkweed native to North America, 20 are found in South Carolina. Four milkweed species sold as seed at everwilde.com and ernstseed.com are: •Asclepias tuberosa—Butterfly Milkweed •Asclepias incarnata— Swamp Milkweed •Asclepias syriaca—Common Milkweed •Asclepias verticillata— Whorled Milkweed
North American native plant societies are a reliable source for monarch nectar and host plants. The Midlands Chapter of the South Carolina Native Plant Society is hosting a native plant sale October 14 and 15 at Roberts Mills House. Since monarchs inhabit and migrate through the Midlands, home gardeners, K-16 schools, businesses, city and state road crews, public gardens, and nursing homes can add native nectar plants to the monarch butterfly’s diet for feasting, flying, and fasting.
Lincoln Brower, monarch scientist, noted that monarchs are so focused when nectaring you can pick them up with your fingers.
References
Hurwitz, Jane— Butterfly Gardening: The North American Butterfly Association Guide Tallamy, Doug— Nature’s Best Hope Xerces Society— 100 Plants to Feed the Monarch
Fall blooming perennial swamp sunflowers are an appealing nectar source for many butterfly species.
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